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UNIVERSITY 
OF  FLORIDA 
LIBRARIES 


In  Memory  of 

Edwin  C.  Kirkland 


MEMOIRS  OF  THE 
AMERICAN   FOLKLORE   SOCIETY 


VOLUME  41 
1947 


An  Analysis  of  Coeur  D'Alene 
Indian  Myths 


By 
GLADYS  A.  REICHARD 

with  a  comparison  by 
Adele  Froelich 


PHILADELPHIA 

AMERICAN  FOLKLORE  SOCIETY 
1947 


COPYRIGHT   1947  BY 
THE  AMERICAN  FOLKLORE  SOCIETY 


ft  saw 


(All  rights  reserved) 
Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 

ARCHIVES   PUBLISHING  COMPANY   OF   PENNSYLVANIA,   INC. 
HARRISBURG,   PENNSYLVANIA 


To 
Julia  and  Lawrence 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

LYRASIS  Members  and  Sloan  Foundation 


http://www.archive.org/details/analysisofcoeurd41reic 


PREFACE 

The  work  presented  in  the  following  pages  is  an  indirect  result  of  a 
linguistic  study  financed  by  the  Committee  on  American  Indian  Lan- 
guages of  the  American  Council  of  Learned  Societies.  A  grant  for 
preparation  of  the  manuscript  was  made  by  the  Council  for  Research 
in  the  Humanities,  Columbia  University.  Grateful  acknowledgment  is 
made  to  these  institutions  for  making  the  work  possible. 

The  name  of  the  Indian  tribe  under  discussion  is  of  French  derivation 
meaning  Heart  of  Awl  or  Awl-hearted  and  the  first  e  of  Alene  would 
properly  be  written  with  a  circumflex.  However  since  a  lake  and  a  town 
in  Idaho  have  the  same  name  written  without  the  circumflex,  the  name 
of  the  tribe  also  conforms  to  local  usage.  The  Coeur  d'Alene  language 
is  phonetically  complex,  a  large  series  of  ^-sounds  and  harsh  glottal  stops 
being  especially  characteristic.  The  writing  of  Coeur  d'Alene  words  has 
been  greatly  simplified  in  this  volume  since  such  simplification  does  not 
detract  from  the  points  made. 

Considerable  effort  has  been  put  forth  to  make  the  translations  in- 
telligible, sometimes  by  adding  an  explanatory  phrase  not  in  the  text, 
sometimes  by  transposing  phrases  and  sentences  and  sometimes  by  the 
use  of  notes.  The  Coeur  d'Alene  sentences  are  not  always  clear  if  liter- 
ally translated  and  besides,  the  informants  often  offered  voluntary  ex- 
planations. Titles  (not  given  by  the  informants)  have  been  selected  to 
indicate  as  well  as  possible  the  point  of  the  tale,  in  many  cases  the  main 
theme  is  inserted  as  a  catchword  after  the  primary  title  and  the  outline 
of  each  myth  or  tale  was  made  with  the  purpose  of  making  the  episodes 
easily  found  through  catchword  or  theme  or  both.  In  the  classification 
of  the  tales  those  were  included  in  the  Coyote  cycle  which  he  is  featured 
in  although  he  is  not  the  protagonist  in  all  of  them. 

All  of  the  comparative  work  was  done  by  Adele  Froelich,  the  only 
changes  in  her  work  being  changes  in  arrangement. 

Barnard  College,  Columbia  University  Gladys  A.  Reichard 


VII 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Preface   vii 

CHAPTER 

I.     Introduction 1 


II.     The  Style  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology 5 

III.  Cultural  Reflections  in  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology 36 

IV.  Diffusion  and  Mythological  Processes 54 

V.     The  Myths  and  Tales 57 

A.  1.  Chief  Child  of  the  Root  (Transformer)  57 

B.  Coyote  cycle 68 

2.  Origin  of  Indian  tribes  (From  Parts  of  Monster)  68 

3.  Coyote  overpowers  Sun  ( Securing  Sun  Disk) 73 

4.  Coyote  steals  his  daughter-in-law 77 

5.  Little  Beaver 83 

6.  Coyote  devours  his  own  children 86 

7.  Coyote  loses  his  eyes  (Eye  Juggling) 89 

8.  Coyote  hunts  with  Crane  and  releases  salmon 98 

9.  Story  of  Lynx 109 

a.  by  Tom  Miyal  109 

b.  by  Dorothy  Nicodemus 113 

10.  War  between  Land  and  Water  People 119 

11.  Dog  husband  122 

12.  Coyote  and  Fox  gamble  with  the  Fish - 128 

13.  Coyote  marries  Squirrel,  sister  of  Geese 130 

14.  Coyote  imitates  Magpie  (Bungling  Host) 132 

15.  Coyote  and  Badger 134 

16.  Calling  the  deer  135 

17.  Calling  one's  kind  139 

a.  by  Dorothy  Nicodemus 139 

b.  by  Tom  Miyal  140 

18.  Coyote  kills  Cricket  with  elk  fat  (Mistaken  Kind- 
ness )  141 

19.  Coyote  and  Nighthawk  change  coats  (Rolling  Rock)  143 

20.  Cricket  rides  Coyote 145 

21.  Coyote  snares  the  wind 146 


IX 


x  Contents 

CONTENTS  (Continued) 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

C.  Myths  not  in  Coyote  cycle 148 

22.  Catbird  148 

23.  Skunk  and  Fisher  158 

24.  The  girls  who  stole  dentalia  (Kidnapping) 165 

25.  Thunder  171 

26.  Waterbird  contests  for  woman  (Gift  Test)  174 

27.  Water  Monster  Woman 177 

28.  Little  Mosquito  181 

29.  Grizzly  and  his  brothers-in-law  184 

30.  Muskrat  trespasses  185 

31.  Toad  saves  children  187 

32.  Chipmunk    and    Snake    (Contest    for    Winter    and 
Spring 189 

33.  Elk  and  Snowshoes 190 

34.  Contest  between  Cold  and  Heat  191 

35.  Rabbit  and  Jack  Rabbit 192 

36.  Dog  goes  for  fire  193 

D.  Tales  with  historical  elements  194 

37.  Turtle's  war  party  (Mock  Plea)  194 

38.  Two-headed  snakes 198 

39.  The  dwarf  199 

40.  Man  caught  in  a  fire  corral 199 

41.  Flathead  chief  sends  his  daughter  to  Chief  Waxane'  200 

42.  The  Coeur  d'Alene  attacked  203 

43.  Two  women  overcome  Nez  Perce  man 206 

44.  Woman  saved  by  loose  saddle  cinch  207 

45.  The  Coeur  d'Alene  fight  the  Kutenai  208 

46.  Boy  takes  food  209 

47.  The  practical  joker 210 

48.  War  between  the  Blackfoot  and  the  Coeur  d'Alene  -  211 

Bibliography  and  Abbreviations  213 


CHAPTER  I 
Introduction 

The  myths  and  tales  presented  and  analyzed  in  this  volume  were 
recorded  in  text  in  the  years  1927  and  1929.  They  were  secured  from 
informants  characterized  in  greater  detail  in  Chapter  II.  The  Coeur 
d'Alene  were  described  by  James  A.  Teit  in  1904  (ARBAE  45  :23-197) 
and  tales  closely  resembling  these  were  published  in  free  translation  in 
1917  (MAFLS  11:119-28).  Since  the  Coeur  d'Alene  culture  was  at 
best  loosely  integrated  and  since  such  knowledge  as  we  have  of  them 
was  secured  long  after  they  had  changed  their  original  way  of  life,  the 
material  here  given  aims  to  supplement  Teit's  and  to  show  how  such 
supplementation  may  be  ascertained  through  linguistic  and  folkloristic 
methods.  Instead  of  using  different  material  it  depends  upon  analysis 
and  synthesis  of  evidence  made  available  at  different  times  and  through 
different  means. 

The  Coeur  d'Alene  Indians  live  in  the  so-called  Plateau  area  in  the 
northern  part  of  Idaho  and  have  been  easily  influenced  by  intruders. 
Before  the  coming  of  the  Whites  their  whole  economic  and  social  life 
was  changed  by  contacts  with  the  Plains  Indians  who  lived  across  the 
mountains.  The  most  important  white  influence,  and  that  an  indirect 
one,  was  the  introduction  of  the  horse.  After  the  Coeur  d'Alene  had 
secured  sufficient  horses  they  took  to  buffalo  hunting  on  the  Plains, 
which  involved  difficult  travel  and  long  absences  from  home  and  perhaps 
added  little  to  the  food  supply,  being  in  the  nature  of  a  sport  rather  than 
an  economic  activity. 

In  the  little  more  than  eighty  years  since  the  Whites  have  been  actively 
concerned  with  changing  Coeur  d'Alene  ways,  most  of  the  old  culture 
has  been  stamped  out.  That  which  the  Indians  now  have  is  neither  white 
nor  Indian  but  a  doubtful  residue  of  both.  The  Indians  own  large 
ranches  which  they  rent  to  Whites;  they  live  in  houses  like  those  of 
white  men,  dress  like  them,  eat  their  kind  of  food  and  perform  their 
religious  ritual,  in  short,  try  to  behave  as  Whites.  The  most  apparent 
difference  is  social.  The  Whites  for  the  most  part  consider  the  Indian  a 
subject  for  exploitation,  use  him  accordingly  and  scorn  him  by  every 
conceivable  means  in  their  power.  The  Indian  on  the  other  hand  defends 
himself  by  apparent  stoicism,  stolidity  and  passive  resistance.  He  realizes 
that  he  is  being  exploited  but  is  defenseless.  His  only  compensation  is  the 


2  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

privilege  of  privately  pointing  out  the  mistakes  of  the  Whites  and  gloat- 
ing over  their  absurd  conceits. 

In  the  short  space  of  eighty  years  these  Indians  have  changed  from 
food  gatherers  and  hunters  of  small  game  to  horsemen  and  buffalo- 
hunters,  to  farmers  and,  finally,  to  owners  of  land  which  they  do  not 
themselves  use  but  from  which  they  live  through  rent  from  Whites. 

In  the  accounts  of  their  early  life  the  subject  of  religion  is  almost 
entirely  neglected.  In  1928  the  Sisters  of  Charity  of  Providence  cele- 
brated the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  their  residence  in  Coeur  d'Alene  terri- 
tory. The  Jesuit  Fathers  had  preceded  them  by  some  thirty  years  (1846) 
when  they  founded  a  church  at  Cataldo,  Idaho.  It  is  not  surprising  then 
that  the  Indians  who  are  Catholics  know  almost  nothing  of  their  old 
religion.  Since  that  religion  was  not  very  tangible  and  since  there  is  little 
missionary  sectarianism  in  the  region,  it  is  not  difficult  to  understand 
why  the  efforts  at  Christianizing  were  largely  successful. 

Many  of  the  facts  of  Coeur  d'Alene  ethnology  recorded  by  Teit  are 
now  unobtainable  and  we  cannot  sufficiently  acknowledge  our  indebted- 
ness to  him  for  rescuing  even  fragments  while  there  was  still  time.  All 
of  those  customs  recorded  by  him  which  were  still  remembered  in  1929 
are  accurately  set  forth.  In  some  cases  informants  were  interested  to 
learn  about  the  customs  of  their  forefathers,  since  no  one  then  living 
knew  of  them  except  through  legend.  The  only  part  of  Coeur  d'Alene 
culture  left  in  1929  was  the  language,  which  survived  among  the  old 
people  and  was  preserved  in  the  mythology  which  also  has  many  evi- 
dences of  white  influence.  By  this  time  (1946)  many  of  the  old  people 
have  died.  Few  of  the  young  are  interested  in  these  matters  and  the  last 
vestiges  of  the  culture  are  rapidly  disappearing. 

Among  the  survivors  of  a  dying  culture  there  are  always  those  who 
value  it.  I  was  fortunate  in  making  the  acquaintance  of  Mrs.  Julia  Ante- 
lope Nicodemus  who  was  one  of  these.  She  was  the  daughter-in-law  of 
Teit's  chief  informant,  Nicodemus,  and  his  wife,  Dorothy,  my  in- 
formant. Julia  did  everything  in  her  power  to  aid  me  in  my  work,  for 
she  quickly  comprehended  the  problems  of  linguistic  analysis  and  was 
greatly  intrigued  by  them.  Her  work  as  interpreter  is  obvious  in  the 
translations  and  grammar  (HAIL  3:515-707)  and,  not  only  did  she 
furnish  all  possible  information  of  which  she  herself  was  possessed  but 
she  referred  more  difficult  matters  to  her  mother,  Susan  Antelope,  and 
her  brother,  Maurice  Antelope,  with  whom  I  did  not  work  directly.  She 
encouraged  her  son,  Lawrence,  to  come  to  New  York  a  few  years  later 
when  he  collaborated  in  the  work  of  preparing  the  grammar.  Without 


Introduction  3 

Julia's  thorough  understanding  of  the  task  and  her  valuable  advice  as 
to  ways  of  going  about  it  my  results  both  linguistic  and  mythological 
would  have  been  much  more  scanty. 

The  two  chief  narrators,  Dorothy  Nicodemus  and  Tom  Miyal,  are 
described  in  Chapter  II.  Julia  was  my  interpreter  for  their  tales.  She 
learned  to  write  Coeur  d'Alene  and  contributed  the  historical  narratives, 
Nos.  42  and  46,  as  her  own  compositions  written  in  Coeur  d'Alene. 

The  work  of  this  volume  has  various  purposes.  It  aims  to  show  what 
texts  have  to  offer  to  knowledge  about  a  tribe  which  cannot  be  secured 
with  free  translations  alone.  If  this  type  of  knowledge  is  to  remain  im- 
plicit only,  it  is  likely  to  be  lost  entirely ;  consequently  considerable  time 
was  given  to  ethnological  sounding-out  of  mythical  and  linguistic  clues, 
the  results  of  which  are  given  in  Chapter  III  which  follows  the  plan  of 
Boas'  studies  of  cultural  reflections  in  mythology  (ARBAE  31  and 
MAFLS  28). 

Professor  Boas  often  discussed  the  possibility  of  determining  the 
literary  style  of  various  myth  bodies  (explicitly  in  RLC  491-502  and 
by  references  in  numerous  other  works).  Much  of  the  effort  of  folk- 
lorists  has  been  directed  to  problems  of  diffusion  and  assimilation  which 
have  become  more  seductive  as  more  regions  are  studied  and  analyzed. 
It  is  my  opinion  that  style  is  the  distinctive  feature  of  a  myth  body, 
that  which  sets  it  apart  from  other  comparable  bodies  of  tradition,  and 
that,  with  a  number  of  mythologies  analyzed  for  literary  effects,  new 
diffusional  problems  will  become  apparent.  Such  a  procedure  would  do 
more  to  separate  internal  and  external  factors  which  make  for  change 
than  the  mere  tracing  of  plot. 

This  does  not  mean  that  I  minimize  the  value  of  the  studies  of  plot 
diffusion  but  rather  that,  once  they  have  been  made,  their  conclusions 
may  be  checked  and  reinforced  by  adding  this  approach.  For  this  rea- 
son a  modest  comparative  study  of  similar  tales  and  literary  devices  in 
a  northwesterly  direction  has  been  added  to  many  of  the  stories  here 
reported.  The  significance  of  occurrence  of  similar  plots,  episodes  and 
motivation  in  any  direction  except  that  of  the  northwest  is  doubtful, 
since  only  those  references  are  given  which  have  been  worked  out  else- 
where in  the  material  used.  The  limitations  of  the  comparison  are  not 
condoned,  they  are  merely  explained  as  necessary  because  of  lack  of 
time  and  other  facilities.  The  comparison  is  useful  in  fitting  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  into  its  proper  position  as  a  tribe  of  the  northwest  and  even  as 
pointing  out  certain  affiliations  to  the  east  and  south,  not  to  mention  the 
use  they  have  made  of  European  myth  material. 


4  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

While  plots,1  but  more  commonly  episodes2  and  elements,3  are  Eu- 
ropean. Individual  temperament  also  influences  such  matters.  Dorothy, 
for  example,  took  great  pride  in  remembering  the  archaic  form  of  some 
of  her  stories,  even  though  in  some  cases  she  did  not  understand  parts 
of  them.  Tom  Miyal,  on  the  other  hand,  depended  on  modernizing  for 
his  most  humorous  effects. 

1  Turtle's  War  Party  (37)  has  the  Mock  Plea  plot  of  the  Brer  Rabbit  story 
although  the  motivation  of  the  story  is  in  some  respects  historical. 

2  Finding  berries  in  winter  (14),  Catbird  fishing  wish  (22),  Girls  finding  cooked 
camas  on  door  (Hansel  and  Gretel)   (8),  Coyote  fears  his  shadow  (Aesop)    (3). 

8  Lynx's  child  is  illegitimate  (9),  Boy's  encounter  with  beautiful  woman  in 
bright  light  (42). 


CHAPTER  II 

The  Style  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology 

the  problem 

The  following  discussion  is  a  stylistic  analysis  of  the  myths  and 
tales.  Not  all  of  the  text  material  in  existence  is  suitable  for  studies 
of  style  and  it  is  seldom  that  translations  can  be  used  for  fair  conclu- 
sions. The  difficulties  of  obtaining  texts  in  writing  make  it  almost  im- 
possible to  get  full  versions.  Informants  get  bored  with  requested 
repetition  and  summarize  briefly  what  they  have  said  with  remarks 
like,  "You  have  it  already,"  "It  is  just  the  same."  Furthermore,  and 
perhaps  more  important,  the  incentive  of  atmosphere  is  lacking.  Nar- 
rators are  ordinarily  stimulated  by  firelight,  leisure,  an  audience  with 
an  understanding  of  the  setting.  Linguists  tear  them  away  from  work 
or  play,  which  they  prefer,  to  sit  and  tell  stories  without  listeners  in 
broad  daylight,  usually  in  summer  when  there  are  more  active  things 
to  do.  Often  the  tribe  has  a  theory  that  tales  should  not  be  told  in  the 
summer,  but  nowadays  the  Indian  seldom  holds  to  the  rule  although 
he  may  fall  back  on  it  for  an  excuse  if  he  tires  or  does  not  want  to 
tell  them.  Informants  sometimes  get  interested  in  recording  for  its 
own  sake  as  was  the  case  with  various  informants  I  have  used.  In 
spite  of  the  drawbacks  more  of  the  native  spirit  in  the  tales  may  be 
ascertained  if  the  study  is  made  through  texts  than  through  transla- 
tions alone,  a  method  which  is  emphasized  in  this  analysis. 

The  small  collection  of  Coeur  d'Alene  myths  made  by  Teit  (MAFLS 
11:119-28)  gives  an  adequate  idea  of  the  range  of  plot,  episode  and 
elements  of  Coeur  d'Alene  literature.  This  collection  is  published  with 
the  myths  of  a  number  of  other  Salish  and  Sahaptin  tribes  in  the 
neighborhood.  There  are  few  except  the  most  obvious  characteristics 
which  would  serve  to  indicate  any  difference  in  style  among  these  tribes. 
Since  this  difference,  is  existent  the  literary  analysis  of  texts  aims  to 
discover  it;  it  includes  the  kind  of  effects  the  Coeur  d'Alene  narrator 
seeks  and  ways  in  which  he  achieves  them. 

Compared  with  other  North  American  tribes  the  body  of  Coeur 
d'Alene  literature  is  not  rich.  Teit  in  his  short  presentation  of  free 
translations  gives  a  good  cross-section  of  the  types  of  narrative.  In  this 
collection  there  are  thirty-eight  myths,  that  is,  accounts  of  things  as 


6  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

they  happened  before  the  world  was  as  it  is  now ;  two  tales  or  accounts 
of  happenings  in  the  historical  period;  and  ten  narratives  of  actual 
historical  encounters  which  were  remembered  by  living  people  or  which 
happened  not  less  than  a  hundred  years  ago.  I  have  classed  Nos.  37 
and  38  as  tales  because  the  Indians  did  so  although  they  have  many 
obviously  imaginative  characteristics.  The  plot  of  Turtle's  War  Party 
(37)  is  widely  used  in  the  Plains  area  but  it  has  an  additional  interest 
in  that  the  Nez  Perce  chief  here  said  to  have  been  scalped  by  Turtle 
was  really  scalped  in  such  a  mysterious  fashion  that  the  culprit  was 
never  caught.  The  brief  description,  The  Two-headed  Snakes  (38),  is 
vouched  for  as  an  absolutely  true  story.  Dorothy's  father  saw  these 
snakes.  Each  one  had  two  heads  on  each  end  of  its  body  and  it  was 
necessary  for  it  to  move  like  a  scythe  so  that  the  heads  could  be  kept 
in  the  proper  position. 

Some  of  the  historical  accounts,  especially  those  about  war,  are  almost 
identical  with  those  collected  by  Teit.  The  specific  references  are  given 
with  the  separate  stories. 

Among  many  tribes,  for  instance,  in  the  Plains,  the  Northwest  Coast 
or  the  Southwest,  informants  are  fairly  bursting  with  tales.  It  is  not 
unusual  to  collect  a  large  number  from  one  informant  and  from 
another  an  equal  number  or  even  more.  Most  of  these  may  be  different 
too  as  various  individuals  specialize  in  different  types.  Among  the 
Coeur  d'Alene  such  is  not  the  case.  Each  narrator  is  likely  to  know  all 
the  tales  or  nearly  all  of  them  and  the  individual  versions  do  not  vary 
greatly  in  plot.  The  general  impression  is  that  the  myth  body  is  small 
and  greatly  influenced  by  neighboring  Indian  lore  as  well  as  by  the 
Whites. 


PLOT 

In  discussing  plot  I  shall  assume  that  a  running  narrative  which  may 
or  may  not  be  closely  knit  consists  of  a  number  of  episodes,  any  of 
which  may  exist  independently  of  the  long  narrative  in  which  it  is 
found.  It  is  usually  to  these  episodes  that  the  catchwords  apply.  The 
episodes  in  their  turn  are  composed  of  elements  which  may  be  closely 
concerned  with  plot,  purely  stylistic  or  performing  functions  belonging 
to  plot  and  style  alike. 

An  illustration  is  the  following.  The  phrase  "You  shall  no  longer 
be  a  man-eater"  is  an  element  used  so  frequently  as  to  be  a  feature 
of  Coeur  d'Alene  style,  but  it  is  also  the  concluding  phrase  to  show 
why  the  preceding  action  has  been  carried  out,  thus  having  some  im- 
portance in  the  motivation.  There  are  elements  which  have  nothing 


The  Style  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  7 

to  do  with  plot,  such  as  the  touches  which  a  lively  narrator  like  Tom 
Miyal  introduces  for  the  sake  of  humor.  Waterbird  sticks  the  hand- 
kerchief given  him  by  the  chief's  daughter  into  his  coat  pocket  so 
that  one  corner  shows.  This  element  merely  verbalizes  a  human  con- 
ceit. The  Land  People  phone  up  river  to  Snake.  This  is  an  amusing 
reference  to  the  way  white  people  do  things.  There  are  other  moderni- 
zations which  seem  like  purely  stylistic  elements  but  which  have  addi- 
tional significance.  For  instance  Waterbird  became  a  dishwasher  through 
shame  at  forgetting  his  appointment  with  the  chief's  daughter.  He 
thereby  put  himself  in  the  position  of  the  Humble  (though  successful) 
Suitor  and  his  act  affects  the  entire  plot  (26).  The  same  character,  as 
the  husband  who  does  all  the  work,  sets  forth  to  overcome  the  Snakes 
who  had  kidnapped  her  just  because  he  was  unnaturally  overwhelmed 
with  housework.1  In  these  cases  the  simplest  elements  really  function 
significantly  in  developing  the  plot.  These  examples  are  markedly  Euro- 
pean but  they  serve  as  illustrations  which  do  not  differ  from  the  purely 
native  elements  used  in  the  same  way  for  the  same  purpose. 

European  folklorists  have  long  been  interested  in  aetiological  tales. 
Waterman2  showed  quite  conclusively,  I  think,  that  explanations  in  many 
North  American  mythologies  may  be  considered  stylistic  rather  than 
motivating.  In  most  cases  the  explanatory  elements  in  Coeur  d'Alene 
mythology  do  not  influence  the  plot.  In  some  cases  they  seem  even  to  be 
forced  into  the  narrative.  The  argument  that  the  desire  to  explain  was 
the  reason  for  the  origin  of  the  myth  is  exceedingly  weak  here.  Two  of 
the  tales,  The  Story  of  Lynx  (9,  a  and  b)  and  Child  of  the  Root  (1) 
might  be  considered  as  aetiological  in  origin,  but  they  are  not  convinc- 
ingly so.  The  reason  that  Lynx's  fur  is  straggly  around  the  neck  and 
paws  seems  to  be  quite  dominant  in  the  Coeur  d'Alene  mind,  but  the 
achievements  of  Chief  Child  of  the  Root  in  making  the  world  generally 
habitable  are  much  more  important  to  the  Coeur  d'Alene  than  details  as 
to  why  Mudhen  has  burnt  eyebrows  or  why  Kingfisher  is  now  a  good 
fisherman.  The  main  stress  in  this  myth  seems  to  me  to  be  moral:  If 
one  addressed  the  Transformer  as  "Chief,"  he  was  blessed;  if  he  ad- 
dressed him  as  "Chief  Child  of  the  Root,"  he  was  subdued  or  even 
destroyed.  One  of  the  important  purposes  of  the  Chief's  work  was  to 
teach  food  conservation.  "Don't  take  one  too  big  or  too  small,  take  just 
the  right  size.  Then  eat  it  all,  do  not  leave  any !"  is  a  constant  admonition. 
And  again,  do  good  for  the  people.  "You  will  no  longer  be  a  man-eater. 
You  will  be  used.  .  .  ." 

1  Among  the  Coeur  d'Alene  the  women  do  the  housework.  It  is  considered  shame- 
ful for  men  to  have  to  do  it. 
8  JAFL  27:1-54. 


8  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

Moralizing  as  an  obvious  reason  for  myth-telling  is  not  common  in 
North  America  and  it  is  doubtful  if  it  is  ever  a  single  explanation  of 
myth  origin.  The  story  of  Child  of  the  Root  alone  illustrates  how  moraliz- 
ing and  explanation  may  be  almost  purely  stylistic  rather  than  motivating 
with  both  used  in  nearly  equal  proportions. 

Since  some  Coeur  d'Alene  explanations  are  unique,  a  list  of  them  is 
here  appended : 

Nighthawk's  head  became  flat,  his  mouth  was  stretched  out  wide  and  pinched 
together  at  sides  by  a  rock  which  Coyote  put  on  his  head   (19). 

Cricket  has  stitches  on  his  body  because  Coyote  sewed  him  up   (18). 

Coyote  was  burned  around  the  eyes  by  Antelope.  Antelope  has  marks  on  his  legs 
and  at  the  root  of  his  tail  because  Coyote  retaliated  by  hitting  him  with  a  lighted 
stick   (3). 

Meadowlark  secured  necklace  and  locket    (3). 

Peculiarities  and  origin  of  different  tribes  explained  (2). 

Child  of  the  Root  made  Kingfisher's  nails  long  and  cut  his  bill  in  the  shape  of 
a  file  (1). 

Lynx's  feet  and  neck  have  long  shaggy  hair  (9a). 

Buzzard  has  white  and  red  eyes  because  Lynx's  wife  choked  him  (9a). 

Otter  clubbed  Muskrat  until  his  head  became  flat  (30). 

Girl  gave  Mudhen  a  dentalium,  hence  the  shape  of  her  nose  (24). 

Helldiver  and  Robin  have  white  streaks  on  their  breasts.  Robin's  sound  speaks 
of  death,  Helldiver  likes  water    (24). 

Crossbills  have  twisted  mouths  because  they  mocked  Coyote  (7). 

Catbird  has  small  eyes  because  of  Coyote's  eye  juggling  (7).  Coyote  tore  his 
eye  pulling  off  Old  Woman's  dress,  pressed  the  tear  together,  thus  making  the  hair 
stand  out.  Coyote  has  rust  around  his  eyes  because  he  ate  forbidden  medicine  (7). 

Birds  became  wild  canaries  when  Skunk  squirted  fluid  on  their  feathers  and 
made  them  yellow   (23). 

"Right  now  at  Salmon's  head  there  is  an  arrowpoint"  because  Salmon  was  shot 
in  the  war  between  the  Land  and  Water  Animals   (10). 

ACTION 

There  is  a  great  deal  of  purely  formal  action,  that  is,  certain  acts  are 
performed  in  a  conventional  way.  Things  which  have  been  destroyed  are 
renewed  or  righted  by  smoothing.  Meadowlark  calls  attention  to  her 
presence  by  placing  her  legs  across  the  trail.  They  look  like  nice  smooth 
little  sticks.  The  person  in  trouble  steps  on  them  and  breaks  them.  When 
she  complains  he  puts  them  in  place  and  smooths  them,  whereupon  they 
are  restored  (3).  Coyote,  after  he  has  caused  Cricket's  death,  stitches 
him  up,  smooths  the  stitches,  steps  over  him  and  he  lives  again  (20). 
Chief  Child  of  the  Root  smooths  Splinter  Leg's  leg  and  it  becomes 
whole  (1)  ;  Coyote's  treatment  of  Cricket  is  typical  in  its  extension  (18). 
A  person  who  has  died  may  have  the  parts  of  his  body  scattered  about  in 


The  Style  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  9 

all  directions.  The  pieces  are  assembled,  smoothed,  stepped  over  and  the 
individual  comes  to  life  (1,  3,  4,  10,  17,  18,  22).  Coyote,  who  constantly 
gets  into  mischief,  is  resuscitated  by  his  friend,  Fox.  Coyote  usually 
yawns,  "My,  I've  had  a  nice  long  sleep !"  and  Fox  replies,  "You  weren't 
asleep,  you  were  dead." 

The  method  of  reaching  land  under  water  is  always  the  same.  The 
people  going  there  get  into  a  canoe  in  definite  order.  The  first  one  in 
is  the  one  to  steer.  Then  at  a  signal  the  canoe  with  all  its  contents  dives. 
It  dives  four  times,  the  last  time  arriving  at  its  destination.  If  Coyote 
is  one  of  the  passengers,  he  wants  to  be  first.  He  always  dives  flat  and 
blames  his  companions  for  pushing  him  but,  whether  or  not  he  is  first, 
he  can  hardly  stand  the  deep  dives  and  he  comes  up  gasping  each  of 
the  four  times.  The  last  time  he  has  barely  enough  breath  left  to  survive 
— of  course,  he  always  does  survive ! 

There  is  formality  of  setting  as  well  as  of  behavior.  Villages  are 
located  near  bodies  of  water.  Travelers  in  canoes  sight  a  house  or  a  vil- 
lage, come  ashore,  walk  up  the  beach,  look  into  or  enter  a  house.  The 
houses  at  the  bottom  of  the  water  are  inhabited  by  man-eating  monsters 
(the  translation  "whales"  is  incorrect).  The  house  is  made  of  ice  and 
snow  and  the  space  from  shore  to  house  is  glittering  with  ice  which  can 
be  traversed  only  with  the  aid  of  magic  power  (10,  22,  27). 

The  above  examples  illustrate  the  use  of  formal  elements  not  closely 
related  to  plot.  Plot  development  in  these  cases  does  not  depend  upon 
these  conventionalizations.  There  are  however  formalities  which  set  the 
action  in  motion  after  it  has  apparently  halted.  One  of  the  most  common 
motivations  is  desertion.  An  individual  is  deserted.  He  sits  down,  covers 
himself  with  his  blanket  and  thinks,  "No  person,  no  house,  no  blanket, 
no  food.  I  will  surely  die.  If  I  go  away,  I  may  run  into  danger.  If  I 
stay,  I  will  die  of  starvation.  If  I  go,  I'll  die;  if  I  stay,  I'll  die."  For 
days — "I  don't  know  how  many,  but  about  two" — he  lies  dejected,  care- 
less of  self,  mourning.  When  the  period  of  mourning  is  over,  he  jumps 
up,  goes  to  the  sweathouse,  then  to  the  river  to  start  all  over  again  (1,  5, 
22,  26,  28).  A  person  with  peculiar  power  may,  after  observing  this 
ritual,  reach  into  the  water,  pull  out  a  monster,  take  a  part  of  the  head 
shaped  like  a  canoe  and  use  it  for  one  in  which  he  escapes  his  fate.  With 
it  all  sorts  of  adventures  may  be  entered  upon. 

Coyote,  after  a  grievous  experiment,  mourns  louder  and  longer  than 
anyone  else.  After  a  time  the  people  pity  him,  perhaps  even  give  in  to 
his  demands.  They  go  to  seek  him  because  his  cry  sounds  weaker  and 
weaker  and  they  think  to  save  him  from  absolute  exhaustion.  They  find 
he  has  left  his  spittle  to  cry  for  him,  while  he  is  up  and  away  at  new 
deviltry  (3,  7). 


10  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

A  boy,  usually  unruly,  foolhardy  or  both,  fishes.  He  fishes  up  some- 
thing surprising — a  woman  or  child.  He  runs  and  tells  his  grandfather 
who  warns  him  against  bad  luck;  he  does  not  take  the  advice  and  puts 
himself  in  the  power  of  the  monsters  who  inhabit  the  icy  shore  under 
the  water  (10,  22,  27). 

An  individual  draws  his  blanket  up  to  his  face,  sits  or  lies  without 
glancing  up,  refuses  to  answer  any  questions  until  one  is  asked  which 
confesses  guilt  or  contrition  on  the  part  of  the  questioner.  The  person 
concerned  racks  his  brain  for  all  possibilities  and  when  he  finally  stumbles 
upon  the  offense,  the  offended  one  reacts  by  answering  and  accepting 
the  apology  or  the  atonement  (1,  4,  7,  13,  16,  27). 

Behavior  of  the  sort  described  causes  a  turn  in  the  plot  and  for  that 
reason  is  mentioned  here.  It  may  easily  be  seen  from  these  illustrations 
that  a  fine  distinction  between  elements  and  episodes  cannot  be  made,  for 
elements  which  may  consist  of  only  a  phrase  or  two  may  have  an  im- 
portant bearing  on  the  plot,  or  a  formal  combination  of  elements  which 
might  from  its  length  be  called  an  episode  may  play  little  or  no  part 
in  plot  development. 

Episodes  or  incidents  are  combinations  of  elements  dealing  with 
action  which  may  be  considered  entities  if  used  alone.  The  Bungling 
Host,  Eye  Juggler  or  Coyote  Frightened  by  his  own  Shadow  are  ex- 
amples. All  of  these  may  be  found  in  other  myth  bodies  as  separate 
tales ;  sometimes  they  are  much  expanded.  The  first  is  an  independent 
story  in  Coeur  d'Alene ;  the  others  are  merely  incidents  of  a  longer  and 
more  complicated  narrative.  In  some  cases  the  combination  of  such 
episodes  is  unified.  One  episode  is  used  as  a  natural  outgrowth  of  an- 
other. Another  plot  device  is  to  recount  the  doings  of  characters  in 
different  places,  while  one  is  going  through  the  actions  of  one  episode, 
another  is  concerned  in  a  different  one.  It  is  however  quite  common  to 
find  a  succession  of  episodes  not  necessarily  related  to  one  another  strung 
into  a  long  narrative,  sometimes  without  much  apparent  point. 

The  style  of  different  tribes  differs  greatly  in  this  respect.  Some 
mythologies  have  few,  if  any,  long  myths  whose  plots  are  not  closely 
unified.  Others  center  their  interest  on  the  episodes,  feeling  little  or  no 
necessity  for  unification  or  consistency.  The  Coeur  d'Alene  mythology 
stands  about  midway  between  these  two  extremes.  Some  of  the  tales 
are  splendidly  unified  (9,  for  example)  ;  others  are  scattered  and  sprawl- 
ing in  the  impression  they  leave  (8). 

The  abstracts  show  distinctly  the  episodes  known  to  the  Coeur  d'Alene. 
Among  them  are  such  wellknown  ones  as  Rolling  Rock  (19),  Origin  of 
Indian  Tribes  (2,  common  to  many  tribes  of  the  Northwest  area), 
Bungling  Host  (14),  Test  of  Fatherhood  (9a,  b),  Box  Dropping  from 


The  Style  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  11 

Sky  (4),  Calling  the  Deer  (16),  Eye  Juggler  (7),  Releasing  Salmon 
(8),  Dog  Husband  (11),  Mock  Plea  (37). 

Several  of  the  more  unusual  ones  are  the  incident  of  the  Kidnapped 
Baby  (24),  Friendship  of  Rabbit  and  Jack  Rabbit  (35),  Story  of 
Thunder  (25),  Dog  Goes  for  Fire  (36). 

Devices  used  to  weld  the  episodes  together  show  that  unification  of 
plot  is  valued.  Trickery  is  resorted  to  when  the  action  comes  to  an  end 
and  there  seems  no  way  of  setting  it  going  again.  The  old  familiar  ruse 
of  making  a  dummy  to  take  the  place  of  someone  is  used  (22,  24). 
Coyote  becomes  a  weird  foundling  in  order  to  release  salmon  dammed 
up  by  four  man-eating  sisters.  The  mother  of  the  kidnapped  boy  throws 
her  belt  upon  the  water  for  pursuing  man-eaters  to  use  as  a  bridge. 
When  they  are  on  it  with  their  clothes  full  of  rocks  (which  they  are 
told  will  steady  the  belt),  the  mother  pulls  it  in  and  the  man-eaters  are 
drowned.  Grizzly  challenges  Rabbit  with  whom  he  lives  to  contests, 
pretending  they  are  play.  Rabbit  substitutes  a  bladder  for  his  eye  and 
thus  saves  himself  from  Grizzly  (2).  Catbird  pretends  to  offer  Wolf  a 
large  lump  of  fat.  It  is  really  a  hot  rock  wrapped  in  elk  fat  (22).  Geese 
try  to  kill  Little  Mosquito  with  thornberry  prods  when  he  is  hiding  in 
the  sweathouse.  He  mixes  red  paint  in  his  little  spoon  and  puts  it  on 
the  end  of  the  thorn  sticks  and  they  think  he  is  dead  (28). 

One  of  Coyote's  most  important  functions  in  myth  is  playing  tricks 
on  others.  His  tricks  sometimes  revert  to  his  own  discomfiture,  but 
often  he  succeeds.  Two  will  suffice  as  examples.  As  a  result  of  con- 
sultation with  his  powers,  he  causes  his  son  to  reach  the  sky  by  lying 
down  and  arching  his  eyebrows.  Coyote  pretends  he  does  not  want  to 
do  this  but  cannot  help  it  because  he  is  afraid  his  son  will  fall  from  a 
tree  where  he  is  gathering  feathers  from  an  eagle's  nest  (4).  His  trickery 
may  be  direct  lying  as  in  the  case  where  he  pretends  Gobbler  spat  up  the 
two  mice  and  he  himself  the  two  nice-looking  people  when  really  the 
reverse  was  the  case  (2). 

Although  trickery  is  one  of  the  important  devices  used  by  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  in  plot  development  and  in  combining  episodes,  the  tricks  them- 
selves are  not  unusual  but  rather  the  conventional  ones  known  to  and 
used  by  many  other  Indians. 

There  are  occasions  where  deceit,  though  necessary  to  the  plot,  is 
nevertheless  punished.  The  Grizzlies  were  a  group  of  deceivers  aided 
and  abetted  by  a  traitor  Coyote.  Little  Beaver  overcame  them  with 
strength  he  secured  through  training  (5).  There  is  a  strong  sense  of 
poetic  justice  in  this  tale.  Coyote  sometimes  gets  his  deserts  and  when 
he  does,  the  satisfaction  is  great  to  myth  characters  and  to  their  creators. 
He  was  punished  by  drowning  for  disobeying  the  Geese  brothers  (13). 


12  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

He  was  killed  by  grizzly  cubs  for  breaking  a  taboo.  Fish  took  him 
at  his  word  and  he  had  to  entertain  them  all  (8).  In  the  encounter  with 
Lynx  he  and  Raven  came  off  worst  because  they  had  stamped  on  Lynx 
maliciously  (9a).  Coyote  was  destroyed  by  his  son  for  his  bad  treat- 
ment (4).  Woodtick,  after  helping  him,  forsook  him  and  let  him 
starve  (16). 

The  most  drastic  measures  used  against  Coyote  are  merely  temporary 
in  their  results.  With  his  power  of  invulnerability  he  always  becomes 
alive  and  is  just  as  tricky  as  ever  but,  because  of  his  eternal  resiliency, 
he  furnishes  the  myth-maker  with  material  with  which  to  spin  an 
infinite  number  of  tales. 

Good  deeds  may  also  be  rewarded,  although  examples  are  less  numer- 
ous than  are  those  of  punishment.  Rabbit  and  Magpie  were  rewarded 
for  returning  with  their  blankets  for  Lynx's  baby  when  it  and  its 
mother  were  helpless  (9a,  b).  The  man  who  deceived  the  girl  sent  to 
Chief  Waxane'  and  all  his  family  were  destroyed  by  the  chief  (41).  The 
most  obvious  and  frequent  exercise  of  justice  is  by  punishment  of  the 
guilty — it  is  most  often  death  or  destruction — whereas  the  reward  for 
good  deeds,  though  not  lacking,  is  rare.  The  reason  for  this  treatment 
is  to  be  found  in  Coeur  d'Alene  psychology.  The  first  reaction  of  the 
Coeur  d'Alene  for  even  the  most  trivial  offense  is,  "I  will  kill  (or  injure) 
him."  There  is  of  course  no  way  of  telling  whether  the  tales  reflect  this 
attitude  on  the  part  of  their  narrators  or  whether  they  have  this  attitude 
because  of  the  constant  influence  of  the  tales.  The  effect  is  doubtless 
reciprocal. 

Such  a  question  as  that  of  poetic  justice  must  be  looked  at  with 
qualifications,  for  that  which  might  seem  just  to  us  might  seem  to  the 
Coeur  d'Alene  mere  foolishness.  The  story  of  the  boy  who  stole  the 
food  (46),  for  instance,  takes  on  a  very  different  moral  tinge  from  the 
same  offense  in  our  milieu.  The  point  of  the  story  is  that  it  is  bad  for 
parents  "to  think  more  of  food  than  of  their  child,"  and  they  are 
punished  accordingly.  The  action  of  the  boy  is  condoned  and  he  continues 
his  adventures  successfully. 

Trickery  and  poetic  justice  may  give  the  plot  its  motivation  and  they 
are  also  important  in  plot  development.  A  third  device  which  is  purely 
stylistic  and  has  nothing  to  do  with  motivation  is  the  use  of  warning 
or  rehearsal  of  a  scene  and  the  repetition  of  that  scene  in  actuality.  A 
protagonist  gets  into  a  tight  place.  A  deus  ex  machina  reviews  for  him 
what  is  going  to  happen  and  in  so  doing  stresses  the  part  the  protagonist 
is  to  play.  Everything  happens  as  predicted  (3,  8,  10,  22,  24,  27).  This 
type  of  repetition  without  supernatural  help  is  used  when  an  individual 
plans  out  his  action  in  his  mind,  then  performs  it  (1,  8).  Although  the 


The  Style  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  13 

device  is  principally  a  rhetorical  one,  it  nevertheless  influences  the  plot 
development. 

PLOT  MOTIVATION 

The  plot  motives  are  not  unique  among  Indian  mythologies.  There 
are  however  limitations  to  the  number  and  kind  used.  Of  these  by  far 
the  most  outstanding  is  that  of  punishment.  Someone  offends  either 
purposely  or  inadvertently  and  must  be  punished.  The  two  most  com- 
mon punishments  are  desertion  and  killing.  Chief  Child  of  the  Root 
leaves  his  mother  and  grandmother  because  of  his  mother's  offense  in 
giving  him  a  root  for  a  father  (1).  The  girls  who  stole  dentalia  from 
the  chief,  their  father,  are  deserted  (24).  The  younger  sister  is  deserted 
by  her  older  sister  because  she  fails  to  pass  the  food  offered  her  through 
a  dentalium  funnel  (24).  Lynx's  wife  is  deserted  apparently  because 
of  the  illegitimacy  of  her  child  (9a,  b).  His  grandmother  leaves  Catbird 
because  he  is  stingy  and  does  not  share  with  her  the  fish  he  caught  (22). 
A  girl  who  does  not  learn  to  work  is  left  by  the  whole  village  (31).  A 
younger  sister  and  her  dog-husband  leave  her  older  sister  who  taunts 
her  about  her  husband  (11).  Elk  leaves  his  partner,  Snowshoes,  because 
he  does  none  of  the  work  (33).  An  exaggerated  case  is  that  of  Coyote 
even  thinking  evil  of  Little  Beaver,  whereupon  he  is  left  alone  (5). 

In  these  motives  there  is  some  idea  of  revenge  which  is  also  the  chief 
motivation  of  some  tales  as  Coyote's  theft  of  his  daughter-in-law  (4). 
The  perfect  vindication  in  Coeur  d'Alene  thought  is  destruction  by  kill- 
ing, either  the  individual  being  considered  guilty  (13,  16,  33)  or  his 
whole  family  or  village  (5,  7,  22,  24,  27,  41,  46).  In  the  story  Muskrat 
Trespasses  (30),  Muskrat  avenges  himself  on  the  Otter  boys  by  killing 
their  sister.  Retaliation  may  also  be  made  by  burning  the  house  of  the 
offender  (1,  28,  37).  Milder  forms  of  revenge  are  counter-trickery  (8), 
or  beating  (24,  34).  Chief's  orders  are  considered  important  by  all  good 
citizens  of  a  village  and  disobedience  is  punished  (7,  8,  13).  Obedience 
is  exacted  by  an  older  person  from  a  younger,  unless  that  younger  has 
special  power  (24). 

Other  motives  which  set  a  long  plot  going  are  the  power  of  the  little 
(1,  5,  16,  28)  or  ugly  one  (8,  11),  contests  of  power,  test  (5,  16,  28) 
and  unsuccessful  imitation  (7,  8,  14).  Almost  all  the  tales  have  these 
motives  in  one  form  or  another.  Just  as  the  plots  themselves  and  even 
the  episodes  which  compose  them  show  little  originality  in  comparison 
with  Indian  mythologies  in  general,  so  the  motivations  are  not  unusual 
or  greatly  varied.  Desertion,  punishment,  revenge,  disobedience,  tests 
of  power  are  the  most  frequent ;  often  one  gives  rise  to  another  and  the 
combinations  give  variety  to  the  stories. 


14  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

CHARACTERS 

The  characters  in  Coeur  d'Alene  mythology  are  of  three  kinds — 
human,  animal  and  characters  neither  human  nor  animal.  Of  these  the 
animal  characters  are  much  in  the  majority.  The  whole  order  of  literary 
actors  is  fixed  in  the  Coeur  d'Alene  mind  so  that  it  is  not  always  possible 
to  differentiate  humans  from  animals.  Two  formal  introductions  to  the 
tales  are,  "There  was  a  village.  There  was  a  chief"  and  "A  boy  lived 
with  his  grandmother."  Such  introductions  sound  as  if  the  actors  were 
human  but  they  are  not  so  regarded.  In  the  first  instance  the  chief  is 
understood  to  be  Bald  Eagle  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  village  animals 
and  birds  of  different  kinds.  The  boy  and  his  grandmother  are  almost 
always  animals  or  birds.  Although  in  many  cases  the  informants  cannot 
tell  which  animals  are  related  to  the  chief,  they  feel  nevertheless  that 
they  are  animals  and  not  humans.  In  the  age  in  which  the  myths  are  set, 
animals  were  people  and  people  were  animals.  There  was  little  differentia- 
tion, and  animals  had  the  good  or  bad  characteristics  which  we  now 
ascribe  to  people  in  addition  to  the  characteristics  now  possessed  by  the 
animals  themselves. 

Occasionally  actors  seem  to  be  human,  but  they  are  rare.  Chief  Child 
of  the  Root  (1),  Splinter  Leg  (1),  Chiefs  Reserved  and  Quiet  (10),  and 
the  Nez  Perce  chief  (37)  were  human.  The  girls  who  stole  dentalia  (24) 
may  have  been  human,  but  were  probably  birds.  The  hunter  whose  wife 
was  stolen  by  Thunder  (25)  is  not  given  an  animal  name,  but  it  is  quite 
likely  he  is  thought  of  as  one.  The  same  is  true  of  the  deserted  girl 
and  her  little  brother  who  were  saved  by  Toad  (31). 

Actors  which  are  neither  animal  nor  human  may  be  normal.  They 
may  be  natural  phenomena  such  as  Sun  (3),  Rock  (19),  Wind  (21), 
Cold,  Heat  (34),  Thunder  (25).  They  may  be  manufactured  objects  as 
Pestle,  Awls,  Combs,  Bladders,  Lassos  (1),  Snowshoes  (33),  or  they 
may  be  highly  imaginary  creatures,  monsters  which  have  animal  or 
human  characteristics  but  are  larger,  fiercer  and  have  additional  abnormal 
features:  the  Child  Eater  (31),  Gobbler  (2)  and  all  beings  referred  to 
as  water  monsters  (1,  22,  27).  These  beings  are  almost  certainly  the 
"mysteries"  described  by  Teit  (ARBAE  45:181-2)  with  more  details 
than  the  stories  furnish. 

Along  with  the  belief  in  "mysteries,"  monster-spirits,  or  whatever 
they  may  be  called,  is  a  belief  in  dwarfs.  They  are  small  supernatural 
beings  which  frighten  men,  do  them  mischief,  but  rarely  if  ever  cause 
lasting  damage.  Strong  as  this  belief  is  in  the  Coeur  d'Alene  mind  it  is 
strange  that  dwarfs  do  not  occur  in  the  myths.  The  brief  description  of 
tale  39  is  the  only  evidence  of  their  existence  in  this  collection  and  it 


The  Style  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  15 

was  asked  for  and  given,  not  as  a  myth  or  a  tale  but  as  a  piece  of 
description. 

The  Coeur  d'Alene  in  their  original  environment  lived  by  hunting, 
fishing  and  food-gathering  for  they  knew  none  of  the  arts  of  agricul- 
ture, nor  did  they  domesticate  animals.  They  inhabited  territory  where 
game  and  fish  were  abundant,  their  homes  being  near  wooded  river  and 
lake  shores.  The  men  spent  a  large  part  of  their  time  on  the  water  or 
in  roaming  the  forest.  Much  of  the  women's  time  was  employed  in 
gathering  roots,  seeds  and  materials  for  housebuilding  and  basket-  or 
wallet-twining.  Even  when  they  remained  at  home  there  was  ample  op- 
portunity for  observing  the  behavior  of  birds  and  animals.  Consequently 
they  became  authorities  on  bird,  animal  and  plant  habits.  The  most  exact- 
ing details  can  be  given  even  today  by  those  few  Coeur  d'Alene  who 
still  cultivate  their  liking  for  hunting  and  fishing.  In  the  summertime 
it  is  sometimes  difficult  to  find  the  conservative  families  as  they  are  con- 
stantly going  camping  for  the  purpose  of  gathering.  It  is  no  wonder 
then  that  they  feel  themselves  intimately  related  to  the  animals  or  that 
their  descriptions  are  reliable.  These  conditions  account  readily  for  the 
use  of  animals  as  actors  in  the  myths,  but  they  do  not  explain  the  absence 
of  plants  as  characters.  There  is  no  reason  to  suppose  their  knowledge  of 
plant  life  to  be  less  intimate  or  exact,  yet  in  only  one  case  is  a  plant 
considered  anything  but  an  inanimate  object.  And  this  is  true  in  the 
face  of  the  fact  noted  on  page  14  that  life  and  action  were  easily  ascribed 
to  other  natural  phenomena  and  to  manufactured  articles. 

There  is  a  large  number  of  animal  actors,  but  I  suppose  that  if  a  list 
of  known  animals  were  compared  with  a  list  of  those  used  in  the  tales, 
many  would  be  missing.  For  instance,  one  of  the  most  common  birds  in 
the  Coeur  d'Alene  country  is  the  killdeer.  It  is  much  loved  by  the 
Indians.  There  is  however  no  story  connected  with  this  bird  and  it 
appears  only  incidentally  as  one  of  the  man-eating  sisters  who  dammed 
up  the  salmon  (8). 

Coyote  is  the  most  outstanding  actor  in  the  myth  body.  There  are  few 
narratives  into  which  he  does  not  enter  either  as  a  primary  character 
or  incidentally  to  put  a  spoke  in  somebody's  wheel.  Fox  is  Coyote's 
closest  friend  and  appears  often  with  him  or  helps  him  if  he  is  in  trouble. 
Their  pet  enemies  are  the  Wolves  and  there  are  frequent  conflicts  be- 
tween the  two  parties.  Grizzly  Bear,  a  fierce  fighter,  vies  with  these 
animals  in  the  number  of  times  he  is  mentioned. 

Other  mammal  actors  are:  antelope,  deer,  elk,  beaver,  otter,  mink, 
muskrat,  fisher,  badger,  skunk,  lynx,  black  bear,  rabbit,  jack  rabbit, 
various  squirrels,  mole  and  mouse. 


16  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

Birds  are  also  numerous :  nighthawk,  meadowlark,  f oolhen,  mudhen, 
geese,  black  swan,  kingfisher,  magpie,  raven,  woodpecker,  redheaded 
woodpecker,  helldiver,  robin,  pheasant,  tern,  crossbill,  snipe,  catbird, 
eagle,  crane  and  several  others  which  have  not  been  identified.3 

Insects  mentioned  are:  cricket,  mosquito,  spider,  an  insect  like  a 
spider  with  long  legs,  perhaps  harvestman,  woodtick,  louse,  bedbug  and 
a  former  but  now  outdated  pest,  perhaps  flea. 

Fish  and  reptiles  are  usually  classed  as  Water  People,  but  Snake  and 
Toad  were  Land  animals.  Salmon  was  the  chief  of  the  Water  People 
and  some  of  his  followers  were  Turtle,  Watersnake  and  the  Fishes. 

The  organization  of  the  animals  into  kinship  groups  is  a  stylistic 
feature  of  the  area  including  many  tribes  besides  the  Coeur  d'Alene. 
Relationships  are  understood  by  all  the  people  and  it  is  not  always  nec- 
essary to  mention  them  in  the  tale.  Bald  Eagle  as  village  chief  and  the 
animals  as  the  villagers  have  been  mentioned.  A  boy  lived  with  his 
maternal  grandmother  (8,  22).  This  is  exactly  according  to  Coeur 
d'Alene  custom  even  today.  As  the  interpreter  explained,  "There  is  al- 
ways a  grandmother  on  the  mother's  side  in  the  stories  because  she  took 
more  interest  in  the  family." 

Complex  organization  is  mentioned  for  some  families.  Coyote's  wife 
was  Mole  and  they  had  four  sons  and  a  daughter.  These  children  have 
names  which  may  also  be  applied  to  humans.  Four  mice  were  Coyote's 
aunties.  Fox  was  his  best  friend  and  he  reckoned  numerous  others  as 
relatives  by  his  remark,  "Your  father's  father's  father  and  my  father's 
father's  father  were  brothers,  so  we  must  be  brothers."  He  addressed 
Cricket  as  "younger  brother."  This  may  have  been  sarcasm,  teasing  or 
a  form  of  coaxing. 

With  Coyote  lived,  according  to  different  stories,  Deer  and  her  two 
children  (6)  ;  Antelope  and  her  four  children,  until  Coyote  and  Ante- 
lope quarreled  (6)  ;  Fox  (with  Coyote  and  his  daughter,  12)  ;  Badger 
and  her  children  (15). 

The  only  consanguineous  relationship  of  Fox  mentioned  is  that  he 
was  the  maternal  grandfather  of  the  cruel  boy  of  tale  27.  Coyote  and 
Fox  had  a  special  term  which  they  used  reciprocally.  It  was  a  contamina- 
tion of  the  word  for  friend  (I  have  translated  it  "boy-friend,"  although 
I  do  not  think  it  particularly  good). 

Another  relationship  mentioned  is  that  of  the  Otter  brothers  whose 
sister  was  Mink  (30).  Cold  and  Heat  were  brothers  (34).  There  were 
four  of  the  Geese  boys  and  Pine  Squirrel  was  their  only  sister  (13). 
Harvestman  was  the  father  of  the  Beaver  Girls  (4).  It  was  common 

1  In  most  cases  identifications  were  made  from  P.  A.  Taverner,  Birds  of  Western 
Canada,  Victoria  Memorial  Museum  Bulletin,  No.  41.  1926,  Ottawa. 


The  Style  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  17 

for  several  families  to  live  in  the  same  house.  Several  examples  of  this 
custom  have  just  been  mentioned.  Elk  lived  with  Snowshoes  (33)  ; 
Rabbit  and  Magpie  lived  together  at  some  distance  from  the  Chief's 
house  (9)  ;  Skunk  and  Fisher  inhabited  the  same  house  (23). 

In  my  opinion  the  nicest  relationship  in  Coeur  d'Alene — and  in  any 
group  for  that  matter — is  that  which  may  be  translated  "relative  and 
friend."  Rabbit  and  Jack  Rabbit  bore  this  relationship  to  each  other  (35), 
and  there  can  hardly  be  found  a  tale  so  full  of  psychological  insight  as 
the  one  which  deals  with  the  worries  incident  to  the  separation  of  these 
two  who  were  bound  by  a  deep  friendship  but  who  happened  to  be  rela- 
tives. 

As  is  the  case  with  other  raconteurs,  the  Coeur  d'Alene  narrator  some- 
times finds  himself  in  need  of  a  deus  ex  machina,  nor  does  he  want  for 
one.  Three  different  characters  perform  this  function.  Meadowlark,  a 
wise  but  tiny  helper,  appears  just  in  time  to  save  the  protagonist.  He 
is  desperate  when  he  sees  two  nice  smooth  little  sticks  lying  across  the 
road.  Unheeding  he  steps  on  them  and  breaks  them.  Then  he  hears, 
"aninin,  you  broke  my  legs,  I  was  going  to  tell  you  a  story."  "Oh,  I  am 
sorry !  Do  tell  me  a  story !"  and  he  places  them  together,  smooths  them 
and  at  once  they  are  healed.  Then  Meadowlark  predicts  what  is  to  happen 
to  the  hero  and  the  hero  proceeds  according  to  her  directions  (1,  3,  10, 
24). 

Coyote  had  helpers  which  could  predict  his  behavior.  When  he  came 
to  an  impasse,  he  summoned  them.  None  of  my  informants  could  (or 
would?)  tell  me  exactly  what  these  helpers  were.  They  always  said, 
"That's  a  Coyote-word."  The  Thompson  (and  other  Salish  tribes) 
attribute  special  powers  to  Coyote's  excrement.  From  linguistic  evidence 
I  suspect  the  four  powers  are  excrement,  testes  and  penis.  Coyote  has  a 
special  kinship  term  by  which  he  addresses  them.  This  term  is  used 
nowhere  else.  The  first  power  offers  to  take  some  special  part  of  the 
burden  of  attack,  the  second  assumes  responsibility  for  some  other  part 
and  each  of  the  others  contributes  its  share  to  make  the  adventure  suc- 
cessful (2,  3,  4,  5,  8,  14). 

When  a  boy  has  been  unwise  enough  to  wish  while  fishing  and  draws 
up  a  woman  he  brings  bad  luck  upon  himself.  He  reports  his  luck  to 
his  maternal  grandfather  who,  by  his  magic,  saves  the  grandson  from 
the  water  monsters  into  whose  power  he  has  come  (22,  27).  The  grand- 
father knows  that  the  water  monsters  are  dangerous  and  is  able  to 
advise  the  party  which  accompanies  the  boy  what  to  do  and  what  not 
to  do.  Furthermore  he  is  able  to  walk  up  the  beach  made  of  ice,  snow 
and  frost  which  extends  from  the  shore  to  the  house,  the  monster's 
under-water  home. 


18  An  Analysis  of  Coenr  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

These  supernatural  helpers  are  not  used  indiscriminately  or  frequently 
enough  to  be  tiresome.  No  one  can  use  Coyote's  powers  but  himself. 
There  are  times  when  he  does  not  (or  cannot)  use  them.  In  the  story 
Coyote  Loses  his  Eyes  (7)  he  is  constantly  helpless  and  in  trouble  and 
always  dependent  upon  someone  to  help  him  out.  The  motive  here  is 
punishment  for  his  misdeeds,  especially  for  his  ingratitude  and,  if  he 
could  summon  his  powers  to  his  aid,  the  story  would  have  no  point. 

Meadowlark  can  help  anyone  and,  in  the  tale  of  the  Animals  Obtain 
the  Sun  Disk,  Coyote  is  aided  first  by  Meadowlark  and  then  by  his 
powers.  The  grandfather  with  supernatural  power  has  this  power  only 
over  deep  water  and  the  country  under  it. 

A  number  of  other  helpers  or  actors  give  directions  as,  for  example, 
Chipmunk  and  others  of  the  Squirrel  family  (8,  23,  25,  32),  Wood- 
pecker (7)  and  the  Spiders  (4).  These  are,  I  think,  actors  which  come 
into  the  story  in  a  natural  rather  than  a  supernatural  way,  or  they  may 
be  equivalent  to  guardian  spirits,  as  Chipmunk  certainly  is. 

There  are  myths  where  no  intermediary  is  needed.  Lynx,  for  instance, 
has  quite  enough  power  to  help  himself  out  (9).  Catbird  helps  himself 
by  his  wit,  fearlessness  and  calculated  naivete  (22).  Crane,  like  Lynx, 
has  strong  power  as  well  as  wisdom  (8).  There  is  therefore  no  lack  of 
variety  in  presenting  solutions  to  the  conflicts  which  arise  in  the  plots. 

CHARACTERIZATION 

Almost  every  quality  is  inherent  in  the  character  of  Coyote,  who  is 
the  most  versatile  of  them  all.  All  other  characters  are  stereotyped  but 
he  may  appear  in  any  guise.  His  good  qualities  are  not  absent,  but  when- 
ever his  motives  seem  good  they  should  be  regarded  with  suspicion.  If 
they  do  not  suddenly  change,  they  at  least  rarely  reach  attainment  be- 
cause of  Coyote's  stupidity. 

He  is  greedy.  His  greediness  reaches  its  climax  when  he  is  not 
satisfied  to  devour  Deer  and  her  children  and  his  own  sons,  but  even 
eats  the  scraps  he  has  offered  to  his  baby  daughter  before  she  can  eat 
them  herself  (6).  In  another  repugnant  incident  he  eats  his  own  marrow 
after  having  broken  his  leg  (7).  He  is  indignant  at  the  Crossbills  for 
taunting  him  about  it  and  as  revenge,  pulls  their  bills  diagonally  so 
they  can  no  longer  speak  words.  The  examples  illustrating  Coyote's 
greediness  show  also  his  cruelty  (6).  There  is  no  limit  to  the  length 
he  will  go  to  gain  even  an  insignificant  end.  He  banishes  his  son  from 
earth  for  a  long  time  to  get  his  wife  (4)  ;  he  brings  disaster  to  the  peo- 
ple for  only  a  whim  (17),  he  does  all  in  his  power  to  punish  Lynx 


The  Style  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  19 

whose  offense  against  him  is  not  mentioned  (9)  ;  he  even  kills  Badger, 
his  own  house-mate  (15). 

Coyote  is  the  personification  of  ingratitude.  Even  when  he  is  in  the 
direst  straits  he  mocks  or  complains.  Woodtick  furnishes  him  with 
halves  of  deer  when  he  is  starving.  He  complains  because  the  whole  deer 
is  not  given.  Although  she  gives  him  his  only  means  of  subsistence  he 
teases  her  because  she  has  no  neck  ( 16) .  When  he  has  got  himself  into 
the  tightest  place  because  of  his  greed  at  a  dance  he  tries  to  steal  forbidden 
bladders  of  fat  which  turn  to  rocks  and  cover  him.  A  woodpecker,  by 
dint  of  the  hardest  work  pecks  a  hole  so  he  can  at  least  see.  Coyote, 
looking  through  the  hole,  sees  Raven  and  cannot  resist  pointing  out  his 
deformities,  whereupon  Raven  picks  out  both  his  eyes  and  he  is  worse 
off  than  he  was  before  (7).  Lynx,  in  a  burst  of  forgiveness  and  generos- 
ity, takes  back  the  entire  village  after  they  have  wronged  him.  Coyote 
finds  only  bones  and  fat  in  his  house  and  complains  even  though  he  has 
had  no  other  food  for  days  (8,  9). 

Coyote  is  boastful,  vain  and  stupid.  Never  is  a  test  announced  that 
he  fails  to  brag  of  his  prowess  or  that  of  his  children :  "My  beads  are  the 
nicest" ;  "my  first-born  will  be  the  first  to  break  it"  (26)  ;  "7  am 
the  child's  grandfather"  (9)  ;  "I  am  the  one  who  really  knows  how  to 
gobble"  (2)  ;  "my  father  and  his  father  and  then  his  father  knew  that 
trick  too"  (2,  7,  8).  In  most  cases  Coyote  is  bested,  but  there  are  oc- 
casions when  his  opinion  of  himself  is  justified  as  for  instance  in  his 
contests  with  Gobbler  (2)  and  with  the  man-eating  sisters  (8).  His 
defeat  is  due  to  stupidity,  thoughtlessness  and  lack  of  foresight.  He  is 
so  vain  that  he  frequently  disobeys  taboos  or  orders.  He  cries  out  when 
the  Geese  have  particularly  asked  him  not  to  (13)  ;  he  takes  pride  in 
disobeying  the  chief's  orders  (8)  ;  he  tries  to  shoot  more  than  two  deer 
and  comes  off  with  only  two  fawns  (8).  He  is  vain  about  his  appear- 
ance, "When  I  go  to  Spokane  how  nice  I  shall  look" — this,  in  Night- 
hawk's  coat  (19).  His  vanity  may  be  a  source  of  philosophy  and  com- 
fort, as  when  Mole  has  thrown  the  plates  into  his  ears>  "Oh  my!  I 
have  a  nice  noise  in  my  head.  When  I  get  to  a  celebration  I  shall  be 
called,  'The  One  with  the  Noise  in  his  Head'  "  (6). 

Suspicion  is  naturally  a  part  of  his  nature.  He  illustrates  well  the 
saying  that  one  suspects  motives  in  others  which  he  himself  may  have. 
Thus  when  Nighthawk  tells  him  to  hold  fast  to  his  belt  he  is  afraid  to 
trust  him  (19).  His  great  faith  in  his  own  power  may  be  the  reason  he 
does  not  believe  that  of  others  to  be  strong.  Although  he  is  suspicious 
and  generally  unsuccessful  he  is  always  interfering  in  other  people's 
affairs.  He  would  show  Crane  how  to  make  a  fire  and  how  he  ought  to 
hunt  (8)  ;  he  would  go  with  the  Geese  whether  they  wanted  him  or  not 


20  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

(13)  ;  he  has  something  better  to  suggest  to  the  fish  as  entertainment 
even  though  he  does  not  mean  his  invitation  seriously  (12)  ;  as  the  moon 
he  announces  publicly  every  act  of  the  people  on  earth  whom  he  spies 
on  at  night  ( 1 ) . 

Coyote  has  little  originality  but  is  essentially  imitative.  His  imitation 
is  usually  unsuccessful  as  when  he  tries  to  fish  like  Magpie  (14),  when 
he  imitates  Crane  (8),  Grizzly  (17b)  or  Woodtick  (16). 

He  is  dictatorial  to  all  but  Mole,  his  wife,  bears  the  brunt  of  his 
orders.  When  she  calls  attention  to  his  unreasonableness  or  lack  of  judg- 
ment, he  snaps  "Don't  answer  back !  Do  what  I  tell  you !"  (6) .  And  she, 
contrary  to  her  better  judgment,  does  it,  but  she  has  her  own  power  and 
quietly,  stubbornly  and  conservatively  outwits  her  despicable  spouse. 

In  the  ease  with  which  his  attention  can  be  deflected  Coyote  is  a 
regular  monkey.  He  may  set  out  with  the  most  serious  purpose  only  to 
be  diverted  by  the  slightest  thing.  When  he  is  seeking  revenge  on  Mrs. 
Badger,  he  forgets  all  about  his  errand  watching  the  two  Nit  Children 
slapping  each  other  (15).  He  is  impatient  of  the  training  Little  Beaver 
requires  to  get  his  power,  but  in  this  case  his  loneliness  overcomes  his 
laziness  (5).  He  is  not  above  cheating  when  he  gambles,  but  he  tells  on 
others  who  cheat  and  he  himself  stops  while  he  is  winning. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  Indians  wish  the  total  impression  of 
Coyote  to  be  bad,  but  there  are  some  cases  where  his  compassion  is 
genuine  and  where  his  stupidity  or  his  successful  trickery  is  beneficial. 
His  loneliness  after  his  children  have  been  killed  by  the  Grizzly  is  a 
case  of  real  feeling,  "When  he  (Little  Beaver)  plays  around  my  house 
I  feel  happy.  Then  I  forget  the  loss  of  my  own  children.  Then  and  then 
only  can  I  laugh"  (5).  His  blunder  in  feeding  Cricket  elk  fat  was 
prompted  by  kindness  alone.  The  mistake  was  due  to  Coyote's  stupidity 
in  not  knowing  that  all  people  are  not  meat-eaters  (18). 

Coyote's  encounter  with  Gobbler  was  clever  in  every  respect.  He  is 
credited  with  the  origin  of  the  Indian  tribes  and  is  responsible  for  their 
characteristics.  The  Coeur  d'Alene  came  out  well  in  this  deal  (2).  An- 
other case  of  his  blundering  on  to  a  good  for  man  was  in  releasing  the 
salmon  although  even  here  he  discriminated  against  those  who  refused 
to  furnish  him  with  a  wife  (8). 

Above  all  Coyote  is  versatile.  He  is  greedy,  sly,  impudent,  impatient, 
impulsive,  stupid,  suspicious,  ignorant,  imitative,  cruel,  ungrateful,  inter- 
fering, boastful,  vain,  clever,  and  rarely,  compassionate.  The  Coeur 
d'Alene  admire  his  slyness,  fear  his  power  and  trickery,  distrust  his 
promises  and  even  his  success  and,  above  all,  despise  him.  Nevertheless 
they,  like  the  mythical  animals,  are  curious  to  see  what  he  will  do 
next  (17). 


The  Style  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  21 

Not  much  is  said  in  the  tales  about  Mole,  Coyote's  wife,  but  she  is  a 
perfect  foil  for  Coyote.  She  is  as  unostentatious  as  he  is  ubiquitous.  We 
may  picture  her,  a  quiet,  tight-lipped,  determined  little  body  industriously 
going  about  her  affairs  with  sure  skill  and  wisdom.  Coyote  is  willing  to 
rush  into  a  situation  impulsively.  Mole  calculates  the  results  and  acts 
in  the  most  conservative  way  (6,  17).  She  loves  her  children  and  can 
usually  do  well  by  them,  but  when  Coyote  goes  absolutely  berserk  she 
has  no  power  to  save  her  sons  from  death.  By  the  exercise  of  careful 
strategy  she  saves  her  daughter,  brings  her  sons  to  life  and  punishes 
Coyote  (6).  There  is  no  blatant  way  of  holding  Coyote  who  is  as 
promiscuous  as  he  is  undependable,  but  Mole  resorts  to  subtlety.  When 
she  is  at  home  she  wears  a  gray  dress  but  when  she  goes  out  to  dig 
camas  she  wears  bright  red.  The  scarlet  woman  among  those  digging  is 
sure  to  be  Mole.  Coyote  complains  when  he  sees  her  from  a  distance — 
she  becomes  gray  if  he  comes  too  near — "Just  as  soon  as  she  leaves 
me  she  dresses  up"  (6). 

A  character  frequently  mentioned  and  definitely  stereotyped  is  Grizzly. 
He  is  fierce,  he  bites  and  claws,  he  attacks  with  a  growl  and  is  rarely 
beaten.  He  is  considered  such  a  good  fighter  that  his  mode  of  attack  has 
become  symbolic  of  bravery  (5,  9b,  17,  27).  He  is  called  Hammered 
Sitting  Place  because  his  posterior  is  flat  from  much  lazy  sitting.  He  is 
expert  in  feathering  arrows.  Therefore  Catbird  calls  upon  him  for  that 
purpose  (22). 

Another  actor  not  thoroughly  approved  is  Raven.  He,  like  Coyote, 
acts  without  the  chief's  orders  (19),  he  pecks  out  people's  eyes  (7) 
and  is  generally  distrusted.  His  own  eyes  are  white  and  turned  back  be- 
cause he  was  choked  by  Lynx's  wife  when  he  tried  to  steal  a  ball  of  fat 
from  her  little  son  (9a). 

Two  excellent  hunters  are  Lynx  and  Crane.  In  order  to  have  hunting 
luck,  one  must  have  great  power.  Both  of  these  animals  have  it  and 
combine  with  it  good  qualities.  Lynx  is  perhaps  the  best  of  the  hunters. 
Even  with  two  versions  of  the  story  about  him  it  is  not  clear  why  he 
should  have  been  punished  as  he  was.  The  Story  of  Lynx  is  doubtless 
an  example  where  several  parts  of  a  narrative  were  used  without  smooth 
articulation.  He  genuinely  loves  the  chief's  daughter  and  does  everything 
as  she  wishes.  He  even  sacrifices  his  looks  for  all  time  because  she  asks 
him  to.  His  vanity  is  only  for  her  as  is  his  vengeance.  We  feel  that  he 
did  not  wish  to  punish  the  other  animals  like  Coyote  and  Raven  but  did 
so  only  out  of  sympathy  for  her  sufferings.  He  was  willing  too  to  accept 
the  damages  her  father  offered  the  first  time,  but  left  the  decision  to  her 
and  abided  by  it  after  she  had  made  it  (9a,  b) . 


22  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

Crane  according  to  Coyote  is  not  handsome.  He  has  a  raucous  voice 
which  Coyote  cannot  bear.  He  has  excellent  power,  he  can  get  much  out 
of  little,  he  is  generous  and  long-suffering.  Quietly,  humorously  and 
effectively  he  shows  up  Coyote's  over-estimation  of  himself  (8). 

Catbird  is  a  whining,  pestiferous  boy  who  always  wants  the  impossible 
and  gets  it.  He  gets  his  will  through  slyness,  determination  and  in- 
genuousness. For  instance  he  tells  Grizzly  not  to  be  afraid,  he  will  not 
shoot  him  (22).  He  is  considered  unruly  rather  than  admirable  by  the 
Coeur  d'Alene. 

The  Wolves  are  thieves  (8,  22). 

Many  of  the  characteristics  of  the  animal  actors  are  considered  good 
or  bad  for  people.  Two  characters  are  idealized.  One  of  the  squirrels, 
Saretcen,  is  the  symbol  of  perfection.  Whatever  she  makes  is  perfect 
and  it  is  considered  a  great  boon  to  have  anything  to  do  with  her.  She 
is  also  neat  and  pretty. 

Toad  is  the  symbol  of  self-sacrifice  and  fatality.  She  is  ugly  and 
always  wets  everything,  but  is  extremely  clever  (1).  She  acknowledges 
her  homeliness  and  is  willing  to  take  on  the  sufferings  of  others  because 
after  all  what  does  it  matter  what  happens  to  anyone  so  unattractive? 
"You  are  beautiful  and  young;  I  am  old  and  ugly.  I  will  die  in  your 
stead,"  is  her  stereotyped  speech  (31). 

Rabbit  and  Jack  Rabbit  have  human  characteristics  brought  out  satis- 
factorily by  story  35.  Rabbit  in  other  cases  is  dignified  and  clever  (2). 
Bluebird  was  modest  even  about  his  beautiful  coat  of  blue  (9).  Human 
failings,  whether  shown  by  human  or  animal  actors,  are  realistically  por- 
trayed. Curiosity  is  so  strong  in  the  older  sister  of  the  Dog  Husband 
story  that  she  cannot  stay  away  from  her  younger  sister  even  if  she 
is  mistreated  (11). 

An  analysis  of  the  characters  of  the  myths  and  their  behavior  gives 
a  splendid  clue  to  the  qualities  admired,  discounted  or  despised  by  the 
Coeur  d'Alene.  Deceit  is  not  condoned,  but  it  is  necessary  to  furnish 
conflict  in  the  tales.  If  the  end  is  gained  it  may  be  tolerated,  but  it  is 
often  punished.  No  explicit  indication  of  approval  or  disapproval  is 
given  about  cruelty.  Coyote  is  punished,  but  not  too  severely,  for  de- 
vouring his  children  in  the  crudest  fashion  (6).  He  is  killed  for  his 
cruelty  to  the  children  of  the  pheasants.  The  cruelty  of  the  boy  who 
poked  out  the  eyes  of  many  individuals  is  punished  by  desertion,  but  he 
comes  out  rather  well  in  the  end  (27).  By  and  large  the  Coeur  d'Alene 
are  proud  of  their  reputation  for  heartlessness.  They  were  created  from 
the  heart  of  Gobbler  and  have  consequently  been  "mean"  ever  since. 
They  boast  of  their  hardness  and  tell  the  tale  with  pride.  It  is  perhaps 
equivalent  in  their  minds  to  bravery.  No  shivers  run  down  the  back  of 


The  Style  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  23 

narrator  or  audience  at  the  gruesome  description  of  the  scalping  of  the 
Nez  Perce  chief  (37),  or  even  at  the  historical  account  of  the  Blackfoot 
warrior  who  was  scalped  and  sent  home  (48).  Pride  in  a  dangerous  ex- 
ploit is  the  dominant  emotion.  There  is  scorn  too  at  the  mention  of  the 
tears  running  over  the  Blackf oot's  face  as  he  is  being  scalped. 

The  quality  of  mercy  is  not  by  any  means  absent  but  is  manifested  in 
special  situations.  Chief  Child  of  the  Root  is  a  constant  example  of  com- 
passion (1).  He  helps  the  deserving,  spares  them  from  the  results  of 
their  own  stupidity,  even  though  he  punishes  those  unfavorable  to  man. 
His  compassion  for  man  is  deeper  than  his  pity  for  the  ones  he  subdued. 
This  character  is  identified  with  Christ. 

The  Geese  brothers  love  their  sister  Squirrel,  and  when  they  go  out 
singly  to  kill  her,  each  returns  saying  he  has  not  seen  her.  It  is  only 
when  two  of  them  go  together  that  they  fulfil  their  agreement  to 
punish  her  (13).  Rabbit  and  Magpie  pity  the  girl  deserted  with  her 
baby  by  her  father  and  his  whole  village  and  bring  back  their  blankets 
for  the  baby  even  though  they  have  to  deceive  the  chief  (9).  Coyote's 
son  apologizes  profusely  for  having  killed  Harvestman,  the  father  of  the 
Beaver  girls.  He  would  not  have  done  it  had  he  known  and  he  brings  the 
father  to  life  again  (4).  Woodpecker  for  no  apparent  reason  takes  pity 
on  Coyote  and  works  two  days  pecking  out  his  eyes  from  the  rocks  in 
which  he  is  imprisoned  (7).  Several  of  the  squirrels  and  some  feathers 
help  the  man  of  tale  25  out  of  his  difficulties,  apparently  because  they 
pity  him.  It  may  be  however  that  he  had  them  as  guardian  spirits.  There 
are  as  many  illustrations  of  pity  and  compassion  as  there  are  of  cruelty 
and  heartlessness. 

An  attitude  markedly  conventionalized  is  that  of  hopelessness.  A  per- 
son starts  out  on  an  impossible  quest.  Everyone  he  meets  attests  the 
futility  of  his  task,  but  each  one  offers  also  some  piece  of  advice,  per- 
haps even  gives  tangible  aid.  Along  with  the  prediction  of  failure  goes 
determination  on  the  part  of  the  seeker  who  continues  until  he  wins 
(17b,  22,  24,  25,  26,  27).  The  conservative  element  of  the  popula- 
tion, the  grandmother,  the  grandfather  or  Mole,  the  highly  cautious 
character  gives  the  warning.  Their  viewpoint  is:  Don't  try  anything 
new  or  unusual  because  there  is  no  reason  to  suppose  you  will  succeed 
but,  if  you  will  try  it,  here  is  something  which  will  help.  Do  this,  do 
that,  use  this  aid  which  I  can  give  you.  If  the  project  is  a  success  in 
spite  of  dire  prophecies,  as  it  usually  is,  the  greater  is  the  honor  of  the 
achievement.  The  myths  reflect  the  Coeur  d'Alene  attitude  of  fatality, 
but  with  it  goes  dogged  determination  and  it  is  not  unusual  to  find  indi- 
viduals actually  succeeding  in  tasks  which  require  long  and  persistent 
effort. 


24  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

Perhaps  the  most  valued  ethic  among  Indians  is  hospitality.  It  should 
be  differentiated,  I  think,  from  generosity,  which  is  not  considered  in 
the  same  way.  It  is  almost  impossible  for  an  Indian  to  refuse  anyone  a 
meal.  Even  nowadays  when  food  is  not  always  plentiful,  due  more  to 
improvidence  than  to  actual  poverty,  there  is  a  feeling  of  smallness  and 
shame  if  guests  cannot  be  fed.  Catbird's  grandmother  deserted  him  be- 
cause he  was  stingy  with  his  fish  (22).  The  ideal  treatment  of  a  guest  is 
to  urge  him  to  eat  all  he  possibly  can,  to  spare  nothing,  then  to  take  home 
what  remains  for,  in  a  properly-run  household  much  does  remain  (2,  8, 
9).  Even  when  food  is  very  scarce,  the  little  is  shared  (1).  The 
sympathy  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  is  with  the  boy  who  took  good  food  from 
his  parents  without  permission  because  "one  should  not  think  more  of 
food  than  of  his  children"  (46).  Fisher  urged  himself  not  to  be  stingy 
with  the  good  food,  even  though  Skunk's  request  for  it  was  unusual 
(23).  Deprecatory  individuals  ask  for  scraps  (23). 

Jealousy  is  frequently  manifested,  as  is  pride.  Coyote's  boastfulness 
and  vanity  were  often  due  to  jealousy.  He  was  jealous  of  Mole  and  he 
did  not  understand  her.  She  was  conservative  and  cautious,  he  was  im- 
pulsive and  thoughtless.  She  had  power  and  he  had  none.  He  was  envious 
of  hunting  power  possessed  by  Lynx  (9,  b)  and  Crane  (8).  Quiet 
manifestation  of  the  qualities  which  make  for  success  infuriated  him. 
Fisher  was  jealous  of  any  success  his  partner,  Skunk,  might  have  with 
the  Squirrel  girls.  The  older  sister  was  violently  scornful  of  her  younger 
sister  because  the  latter 's  husband  was  so  ugly  but,  as  soon  as  he  became 
handsome,  she  wanted  him  for  herself  (23). 

Pride,  in  the  myths  as  well  as  in  reality,  is  often  expressed  by  silence. 
Splinter  Leg  is  a  good  example  of  pride  even  in  humble  circumstances 
and  is  typical  of  other  actors  in  the  same  story  ( 1 ) .  "You  find  us  humble. 
You  honor  a  humble  home"  is  polite  acknowledgment  of  conditions  which 
the  host  does  not  necessarily  believe  are  modest.  An  appearance  of 
humility  or  modesty  is  admired.  Bluebird  thought  his  coat,  really  the 
most  beautiful  of  them  all,  too  modest  to  offer  as  damages  to  the  chief's 
daughter  (9a,  b).  The  really  great  do  not  boast  or  brag  of  their  power 
and  exploits.  That  part  they  may  leave  to  Coyote  but,  when  occasion 
arises,  they  quietly  and  modestly  use  their  influence  and  accomplish 
marvels. 

STYLISTIC  DEVICES 

The  specific  character  of  a  given  myth-body  is  affected  by  a  selection 
of  details  rather  than  by  the  more  general  use  of  episode,  plot,  motiva- 
tion and  the  like.  The  same  is  true  in  plastic  art.  Principles  upon  which 


The  Style  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  25 

composition  is  based,  elements  used  in  composition  or  technique,  may  be 
of  very  wide  distribution,  but  the  selection  of  these  various  factors, 
their  recombination  and  working  out,  these  are  the  details  which  put  feel- 
ing into  the  art  and  determine  its  style.  We  have  already  seen  that  Coeur 
d'Alene  mythology  gains  much  of  its  flavor  through  characterization. 
Even  more  striking  effects  are  secured  by  linguistic  and  rhetorical  de- 
vices, the  first  of  which  are  inherent  in  the  language,  the  second  open 
to  a  wide  range  of  choice. 

Coeur  d'Alene  is  a  member  of  the  Salish  linguistic  family,  most  of  the 
dialects  of  which  use  duplication,  reduplication  or  both  as  a  morpho- 
logical device.  In  Coeur  d'Alene  this  feature  is  also  highly  developed 
and  plays  an  important  part  in  creating  effects.  Reduplication  is  used 
for  expressing  plurality,  diminutive,  continuative,  iterative  and  dis- 
tributive. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  understand  how  such  a  morphological  device  may 
affect  the  literary  style  in  a  marked  degree,  especially  if  the  people  using 
it  play  with  it.  Words  themselves  which  are  duplications,  for  instance, 
rilril,  xwi'u  xwi'u,  the  names  of  birds,  yapiyapen  "man-eater,"  give  a 
distinct  character  to  sentences  and  the  tale  may  gain  much  of  its  effect 
from  the  use  of  duplication.  The  story  Cricket  rides  Coyote  (20)  owes 
its  humor  to  the  fact  that  combinations  of  comic  sounds  are  repeated 
until  the  story  becomes  side-splitting.  This  is  only  one  of  many  examples 
which  shows  how  impossible  it  is  to  carry  over  the  spirit  of  the  tale 
into  a  language  like  English,  which  has  no  machinery  for  the  expression 
of  such  an  effect.  Another  tale  which  demonstrates  the  same  device  used 
to  achieve  a  different  result  is  that  of  Catbird  (22).  He  was  tiny  and 
babyish,  so  all  of  his  things  and  behavior  must  correspond.  The  only  way 
we  have  of  expressing  diminutive  is  by  adding  "little."  "Then  this 
little  bird  hung  up  in  a  little  way  his  little  moccasins  on  a  little  hook." 
It  sounds  silly  in  English  and  at  once  becomes  monotonous.  There  is 
no  way,  even  ungracefully,  to  express  diminution  in  a  verb,  and  conse- 
quently our  translation  of  this  tale  sounds  like  the  rest.  In  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  rendering  the  diminutive  element  establishes  a  setting  which  is 
as  rhetorical  as  it  is  linguistic.  By  this  grammatical  device  alone  a  con- 
trast between  the  smallness  of  Catbird  and  the  bigness  of  Elk,  Wolf  and 
others  is  established  which  is  purely  literary.  The  enjoyment  felt  by  the 
narrator  and  listeners  is  shown  by  the  light  in  the  eye  and  the  expression 
on  their  faces  and  they  will  tell  you  "The  story  of  Catbird  is  'awful 
cute.'  " 

Coeur  d'Alene  has  a  method  of  expressing  subordination.  The  same 
particle  is  used  for  all  sorts  of  dependent  clauses  whether  adverbial, 
relative  or  participial,  but  it  is  not  a  favorite  means  of  expression.  "Cat- 


26  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

bird  went  to  tell  his  grandmother  that  the  Wolves  had  stolen  his  meat." 
The  language  has  the  machinery  for  the  expression  of  this  sentence, 
but  the  Coeur  d'Alene  prefers  to  say,  "Catbird  went.  He  went  to  his 
grandmother.  He  told  her,  'The  Wolves  have  stolen  my  meat.'  "  The 
result  is  that  instead  of  long  periods  there  are  short  staccato  sentences 
which  express  all  that  is  necessary  and  primarily  emphasize  action.  Con- 
tinually there  are  quotes  within  quotes  and  this  habit  gives  a  definite 
character  to  the  style  which  superficially  looks  like  a  language  deficiency. 
Actually  it  is  a  choice  of  definite  simplicity  in  preference  to  bluffing 
prolixity. 

A  third  linguistic  peculiarity  is  noticeable  and  pleasing  even  to  those 
not  understanding  the  language;  to  those  who  do  understand  it,  it  is  a 
constant  source  of  delight.  It  is  a  tendency  to  lengthen  the  vowel  with  a 
voice  glide  from  high  or  very  high  to  low  to  express  "much,"  "many" 
and  the  like,  xwist,  "he  went,"  but  xwi  •  •  •  st  "far  he  went,"  and  xwi  ••  -  st, 
"very,  very  far  he  went."  This  device  can  be  well  expressed  in  English 
phonetically,  but  it  cannot  be  easily  expressed  orthographically.  "He  is 
lazy,"  but  "He  is  la  •  •  •  zy."  The  former  is  a  mere  disinterested  state- 
ment of  a  fact,  the  latter  a  special  emphasis  on  the  fact  that  he  is  too 
lazy  to  live,  disgustingly  lazy  or  something  of  the  kind.  Pitch  accent  is 
much  used  in  Coeur  d'Alene  as  in  every  language,  but  this  is  its  only 
grammatical  use.  It  takes  the  place  of  a  superlative  here,  if  we  may  say 
that  there  is  a  superlative  in  verbs.  It  adds  zest  to  the  narrative  effect. 

A  number  of  rhetorical  devices  are  used,  not  all  corresponding  exactly 
to  our  own.  One  of  the  most  frequent  is  what  I  shall  call  "obscure 
simile."  A  continually  occurring  phrase  in  Dorothy's  narratives  is  "He 
did  it.  He  did  like  this."  Then  instead  of  saying  what  he  did  she  acted  it. 
She  sometimes  employed  a  simple  gesture  or  performed  a  little  act. 
There  is  no  way  of  recording  such  a  habit  and  in  reading  the  tale  the 
effect  is  totally  lost.  Feebly  I  indicate  the  gestures  but  despair  of  carrying 
over  the  life  put  into  the  tale.  Gesture  and  action  are  commonly  used 
by  Indian  narrators  and  perhaps  nothing  can  be  done  to  capture  artificially 
what  they  add  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  myths.  Tom,  unlike  Dorothy, 
completed  the  simile  in  words,  although  he  sometimes  accompanied  them 
with  acting.  I  was  once  astounded  when  he  got  up  from  his  chair,  went 
out  the  door,  lay  down  on  his  stomach  on  the  porch  and  worked  his  way 
in,  crawling  sneakingly  as  one  would  up  to  a  tent  in  the  dark.  During 
all  this  pantomime  he  had  been  telling  the  story  and  when  this  scene 
was  finished  he  returned  to  his  chair  and  quietly  continued. 

The  discussion  of  characterization  shows  to  what  extent  personifica- 
tion is  used.  Besides  attributing  human  behavior  to  animals  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  assign  it  to  natural  phenomena  as,  for  instance,  to  Thunder 


The  Style  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  27 

(25)  whose  power  lay  in  his  shirts  or  to  Wind  (21)  who  had  long  curly 
hair,  big  eyes  and  a  wide  mouth.  Personification  is  so  common  and  so 
apparent  that  a  discussion  of  its  use  need  not  be  prolonged. 

Repetition  is  used  universally  in  art  and  literature,  but  there  are 
various  ways  in  which  it  may  be  managed.  Words,  phrases,  episodes  or 
incidents  may  be  repeated.  The  unit  of  repetition  is  different  in  various 
tribes.  Among  the  Wailaki  of  Northern  California,  for  example,  the 
passage  of  time  is  shown  by  repetition.  There  is  no  hesitancy  on  the 
part  of  a  narrator  to  reiterate  the  same  phrase  ad  nauseam  to  show  that 
his  hero  stayed  at  a  place  for  a  year.  In  some  tribes  the  unit  of  repeti- 
tion is  nine,  in  others,  five ;  a  thought,  act  or  phrase  is  repeated  a  stereo- 
typed number  of  times.  Among  the  Coeur  d'Alene  this  unit  is  four. 
Persons  or  objects  commonly  come  by  fours;  actions  are  repeated  four 
times.  Four  helpers  belong  to  Coyote,  the  man  who  lost  his  wife  was 
given  four  needles  and  later  four  feathers  to  help  him  get  to  Thunder 
(25).  Coyote  had  four  sons;  there  were  four  mosquito  brothers  and 
one  little  one  with  strong  power  (28).  The  purification  ceremony  of 
sweating  and  bathing  was  carried  out  on  four  different  days  (41)  ; 
Waterbird  slept  four  days  by  mistake  (26).  Repetition  is  however  not 
consistently  fourfold ;  two  is  sometimes  used.  Dorothy  usually,  when  not 
sure  of  the  time  elapsed,  said,  "Long,  I  don't  know  how  long,  I  guess 
two  days,"  showing  that  four  was  not  dominant  in  her  mind.  Not 
seldom  there  were  only  two  sons  or  two  daughters  in  a  family  or  at 
least  only  two  are  mentioned. 

As  a  mode  of  plot  development  the  use  of  thought  or  direction  by  a 
third  party  and  the  repetition  of  that  thought  or  direction  by  the 
protagonist  has  been  noted.  These  repetitions  are  given  in  direct  dis- 
course and  illustrate  how  the  same  device  may  be  used  for  plot  develop- 
ment and  as  a  stylistic  element. 

Perhaps  the  most  outstanding  aspect  of  repetition  used  by  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  is  the  constant  use  of  formal  phrases.  Major  actors  have  char- 
acterizing sayings.  Other  sayings  are  stereotyped  for  given  occasions. 
In  a  contest  Coyote  says,  "It  must  be  the  child  of  my  first-born"  (9b). 
Coyote  always  uses  "my  daughter's  child,"  for  "my  son's  child"  (9b). 
His  inability  to  get  the  kin-terms  correct  illustrates  his  stupidity.  He 
says  when  importuning  his  powers,  "My  power  relatives,  you  give  a 
person  the  chills."  Another  of  his  nonsensical  but  nevertheless  func- 
tional speeches  is,  "My  father's  father's  father  knew  that  trick,  too"  (8, 
18),  or  "My  father  and  his  father  and  his  father  had  that  name  for  their 
dogs"  (2),  thus  adding  time  and  tradition  to  the  weight  of  his  boast. 
When  Wolf  or  Thunder  or  someone  with  much  power  is  thwarted,  he 
says,  "There  is  no  place  on  earth  I  do  not  know"  (22,  23,  24,  25).  It 


28  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

is  equivalent  to  saying,  "There  is  no  place  on  earth  where  he  can  hide 
from  me.  I  will  surely  find  him,"  and  the  actor  thereby  indicates  his 
intention  to  make  a  thorough  search. 

Catbird's  grandmother  always  reacted  to  his  proposals  with  a  phrase 
meaning  "Impossible !  Scandalous  even  to  think  of  it !"  This  phrase  is 
typical  of  Coeur  d'Alene  conservatives  and  other  characters  use 
astonished  words  of  warning  which  have  essentially  the  same  meaning. 
Two  formal  greetings  signifying  welcome  as  well  as  expressed  modesty 
are,  "You  honor  our  humble  home"  (1)  and  at  meal  time,  "We  are 
pitiable.  We  are  poor.  We  have  nothing  to  eat.  We  would  have  more 
had  we  expected  such  an  honorable  guest,  but  you  are  welcome  to  the 
little  we  have."  "We  are  pitiable"  is  a  common  expression  to  gain 
sympathy  for  many  causes,  for  instance,  when  begging  for  mercy,  when 
pointing  out  a  bad  circumstance  or  offering  sympathy,  when  announcing 
disaster  (1,  2,  4,  6,  7,  18,  21,  22,  25). 

A  formal  turn  of  phrase  often  used  is  dependent  on  a  Coeur  d'Alene 
verb  stem,  "No  longer  are  you  (or  is  he)  a  decent  person."  The  stem 
signifies,  "decent,  refined,  cultivated,  adaptable,  trained,  well-behaved." 
Perhaps  "civilized"  would  be  a  good  translation.  The  son  of  Dentalium 
Girl  was  "no  longer  a  real  person"  after  growing  up  with  the  man-eating 
women  (24).  A  woman  stolen  by  Thunder  was  no  longer  a  "decent 
person"  (25)  ;  the  wife  of  Waterbird  degenerated  from  living  with  the 
Snakes,  people  who  were  not  of  her  kind. 

There  are  other  sayings  commonly  used  but  not  often  repeated  in  the 
myths.  "There  is  a  hole  in  his  moccasin  near  the  big  toe,"  is  a  "mean" 
expression  used  by  a  person  who  is  jealous  to  indicate  "He  is  longing 
for  some  other  woman"  (4).  When  something  important  is  about  to 
happen,  people  may  say,  "Beaver's  older  sister  is  going  upstream, 
Beaver's  younger  sister  is  going  downstream." 

The  introduction  and  conclusion  of  narratives  are  usually  formal.  The 
most  common  introductions  have  been  noted.  The  ordinary  conclusion 
is  a  variation  on  the  theme  "I  have  come  to  the  end  of  the  trail."  (This 
may  be  a  false  etymology  as  the  natives  do  not  translate  the  word.) 
This  is  sometimes  extended  into  the  ending  "the  little  bird  sat  on  a 
tree  at  the  end  of  the  road  and  was  shot." 

Actors  are  recognized  by  the  sounds  they  make  which  constitute  a 
characterizing  device.  It  is  not  proper  in  my  opinion  to  call  this  use  of 
sound  onomatopeia,  because  the  sounds  have  no  meaning  apart  from  the 
characters  who  use  them,  nor  do  the  Coeur  d'Alene  feel  that  they  are 
the  noises  which  the  given  animals  necessarily  make,  although  this  may 
occasionally  be  the  case.  The  abundant  use  of  sounds  is  one  of  the  most 
striking  factors  of  Coeur  d'Alene  style. 


The  Style  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology 


29 


Most  people  snore  xuxu  (Thunder  [25],  the  Nez  Perce  [43])  but 
Coyote  asleep  makes  the  sound  xwu  xwu  (13).  This  conforms  to  his 
habit  of  distorting  and  exaggerating. 

There  are  many  of  these  sounds  but  a  short  list  will  suffice  for  illustra- 
tion: 

p'ap'aq'  a  "bad-sounding"  noise  made  by  Skunk  (23) 

tcisasat'at'  a  "nice"  noise  made  ordinarily  by  Fisher  (23) 

olu'lu'lu'  noise  made  by  Fisher  when  he  dives  (1) 

tsalala  noise  made  by  Kingfisher  diving    (1) 

ona'na'na'n  noise  made  by  Magpie's   children   eating    (9) 

ots'ats'at  noise  made  by  Rabbit's    children   eating    (9) 

patatsat  noise  made  by  Chipmunk   hopping    (25) 

nalnata  noise  made  by  another  squirrel  hopping    (25) 

mu  mu  mu  noise  made  by  bones  being  transformed  to  dentalia    (24) 

t'a  t'a  t'a  Cricket's  sound  (18) 

oyurayura  Grizzly's  sound   (5) 

qwar  qwar  Crane's  sound   (very  disagreeable  sounding  to  Coyote)    (8) 

olcar  tear  Raven's  sound  (9) 

op'axp'axp'ax  sound  made  by  Snowshoes  on  snow   (33) 

opampam  noise  of  bow  (27) 

opatsatsa  sound  of  Snake's  stick  hitting  Chipmunk  (32) 

ola'u  ola'u  sound  of  "pans"  in  Coyote's  ear   (6) 

xuts  xuts  xuts        sound  of  bone  breaking   (sounds  "awful")    (31) 

otsaxtsax  sound  of  teeth  grinding   (38) 

ludidi  ludidi  sound  of  spiders  spinning   (4) 

The  use  of  sounds  is  not  restricted  to  noises  but  they  may  even  ex- 
press feeling: 

anininin  pain  felt  by  Meadowlark  when  her  leg  bones  have  been  broken 

dnitnim  feeling  of  pain  when  Splinter  Leg  carves  his  own  leg  bone  (1) 

alilili  feeling  of  cold  water  on  the  body  (22) 

tsaskaninin  feeling  of  Catbird  passing  through  Elk's  nose  (22) 

halalas  phrase  with  which  Mole  introduces  herself  (6) 


Since  feelings  as  well  as  noises  are  expressed  by  sounds  and  since  there 
are  verb  stems  of  an  entirely  different  nature  which  might  in  themselves 
be  considered  onomatopoeic,  this  wide  use  of  sounds  seems  to  be  onoma- 
topoeia at  least  in  exactly  our  sense  of  the  word. 

Another  important  element  of  the  myth-body  may  be  stressed  in  an 
analysis  of  this  kind  but  lends  nothing  to  the  myths  in  free  translation 
because  it  must  be  garbled  or  omitted;  that  is,  the  use  of  song.  Char- 
acters have  their  special  songs  which  are  a  part  of  the  narrative,  but 
frequently  they  consist  of  meaningless  syllables  or  incomprehensible 
words.  If  the  words  have  a  meaning  it  is  often  given  in  a  language 


30  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

other  than  Coeur  d'Alene.  The  fact  that  another  language  is  used  adds 
an  elusive  element  of  humor  to  the  tale  which  cannot  be  caught  even  in 
the  best  translation.  The  song  of  Catbird  which,  by  changing  a  short 
syllable  of  each  of  two  words  changes  the  entire  connotation  of  the 
sentence,  loses  most  of  its  point  when  translated.  The  original  gives  the 
notion  of  contrast  between  Catbird's  smallness  and  cleverness  and  Wolf's 
bulk  and  trickiness.  The  best  I  can  do  is  to  call  attention  to  the  fact 
that  song  is  much  favored  by  the  Coeur  d'Alene  as  a  part  of  their  tales, 
that  it  is  a  characterizing  factor  and  that  it  is  frequently  expressed  in 
a  language  which  is  not  Coeur  d'Alene  (1,  8,  12,  18,  22,  30). 

The  most  common  modes  of  making  an  appeal  are  by  humor,  pathos, 
bathos,  macabre  and  sarcasm.  A  question  frequently  asked  of  an 
anthropologist  by  those  not  acquainted  with  Indians  is,  "Do  they  have 
any  sense  of  humor?"  Of  the  Indians  I  have  met  in  the  course  of 
twenty  years  of  fieldwork,  I  recall  only  one  who  had  no  sense  of  humor, 
as  large  a  proportion,  I  suspect,  as  among  our  own  population.  I  have 
the  impression  that  the  Coeur  d'Alene  are  especially  gifted  in  this 
respect  I  speak  now  of  individuals  who  show  great  wit  and  whimsicality, 
as  well  as  of  development  of  humor  in  the  tales.  Perhaps  I  should  say 
that  this  feature  of  their  literature  has  been  especially  cultivated. 

It  is  frequently  noted  that  humor  among  Indians  is  obscene.  This  type 
is  by  no  means  lacking  among  the  Coeur  d'Alene  (1,  5,  7,  8,  23)  and 
it  is  duly  enjoyed,  but  they  do  not  by  any  means  depend  upon  obscenity 
to  furnish  comedy.  Humor  is  primarily  of  two  kinds,  that  of  language 
and  that  of  situation.  The  Coeur  d'Alene  play  with  words  delightfully. 
Puns  are  used  (7,  22)  but  they  are  more  numerous  in  conversation 
than  in  myth.  The  use  of  foreign  phrases  transforms  a  tale  from  ordi- 
nary to  riotous.  The  inclusion  of  a  Spokan  or  Flathead  sentence,  either 
of  which  sounds  like  bad  Coeur  d'Alene,  sometimes  gives  rise  to  un- 
controllable laughter. 

Phrases  from  unrelated  languages  like  Nez  Perce  are  also  much  en- 
joyed. The  element  of  incorrectness  seems  to  be  comic,  for  Coeur 
d'Alene  words  mispronounced  are  equally  hilarious.  Coyote  was  the 
greatest  linguistic  clown.  He  always  said,  "gr-gr-gr-father"  for  "grand- 
father" ;  histomc  for  hisctomc  "my  friend,"  to  Fox ;  "my  daughter's 
child"  for  "my  son's  child." 

Of  importance  equal  to  play  with  language  is  the  humor  of  situation. 
Coyote  most  often  is  the  butt  of  the  jest,  but  he  sometimes  has  a  chance 
to  laugh  at  others.  Coyote  displaying  his  vanity  by  wearing  Nighthawk's 
coat,  could  not  stay  on  the  ground  but  kept  jerking  upward  the  way 
Nighthawk  flies  (19).  The  ruse  Bullfrog  played  on  the  people  to  see 
Chief  Child  of  the  Root  is  amusing  for  its  cleverness.  No  one  of  the 


The  Style  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  31 

crowd  would  move  aside  so  she  could  see  him.  When  she  requested 
them  to  move,  they  asked  why  such  an  ugly  thing  wanted  to  see.  Because 
she  quietly  sent  a  rain  so  heavy  that  no  place  but  hers  was  dry  enough 
for  a  fire,  the  Chief  came  to  her  house  and  she  was  able  to  take  a  good 
look  at  him  ( 1 ) . 

The  whole  story  of  Cricket  riding  Coyote  (20)  is  comic  because,  in 
addition  to  the  situation,  there  is  constant  use  of  reduplicated  stems  even 
ordinarily  composed  of  amusing  combinations  of  consonants.  Crane  was 
accustomed  to  hang  a  deer  on  each  side  of  his  belt  because  he  had  power 
to  put  "much  in  little."  Coyote's  great  grandfather  also  knew  the  trick, 
he  said,  so  he  also  tried  it.  One  can  enjoy  his  discomfiture  when,  al- 
though he  had  only  two  fawns  as  his  kill,  he  staggered  along  with  them 
constantly  becoming  heavier  and  dragging  him  down.  Besides  impeding 
his  progress,  the  weight  tore  at  his  belt  and  he  was  constantly  hitching 
up  his  load  (8).  Those  who  appreciate  the  mimicry  of  the  toothless  aged 
will  enjoy  the  scene  where  Coyote  refuses  food — the  very  fact  of 
Coyote's  refusing  food  is  comic — because  he  has  no  teeth.  He  lies 
snoring  with  his  mouth  open  and  his  toothlessness  of  which  he  is  ashamed 
is  exposed  to  Pine  Squirrel,  the  person  he  wants  most  to  impress  (13). 

When  Dentalium  Girl  selected  a  husband,  Mudhen  wanted  her  to 
choose  Redheaded  Woodpecker,  her  grandson.  When  it  looked  as  if 
she  were  going  to  pass  him  by  Mudhen  pushed  him  forward,  pushed 
him,  so  to  speak,  into  the  arms  of  the  girl  (24). 

In  contrast  to  humor  pathos  makes  a  strong  appeal.  Desertion  always 
gives  rise  to  pathetic  situations,  the  details  of  which  are  handled  ef- 
fectively. Lonesomeness  is  frequently  stressed.  Coyote's  grief  at  the 
loss  of  his  sons,  in  this  case  genuine,  his  struggle  to  keep  little  Beaver 
and  the  resultant  reward  are  vividly  portrayed  in  the  story  of  Little 
Beaver  (5).  The  utter  hopelessness  of  the  deserted  is  a  Coeur  d'Alene 
convention.  To  me  the  most  moving  tale  of  all  is  the  story  of  the  mother 
whose  baby  son  was  kidnapped  and  her  struggle  to  get  him  back.  After 
journeying  for  years  from  her  own  home  to  that  of  the  man-eaters  who 
had  stolen  him,  she  was  obliged  to  prove  that  he  belonged  to  her.  He 
had  in  this  time  grown  to  manhood  and  was  "not  decent"  because  of  his 
environment.  Against  time  and  bad  training  as  well  as  against  man-eating 
power  she  must  exert  her  will.  Even  after  she  broke  down  her  son's 
mental  resistance,  she  had  to  demonstrate  by  physical  means  her  right 
to  the  title  of  "mother."  After  she  had  freed  him  from  his  bondage  to 
the  man-eaters  she  did  not  try  to  chain  him  to  her  but,  even  though  it 
grieved  her  almost  as  much  as  his  sojourn  with  the  evil  women  who 
stole  him,  she  left  him  to  his  element,  water,  while  she  sought  hers,  the 
forest  (24). 


32  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

Lonesomeness  in  life  as  in  myth  is  tragic  to  the  Coeur  d'Alene.  The 
same  causes  give  rise  to  loneliness  as  among  ourselves,  desertion,  death 
and  separation  (4,  24).  A  common  phrase  in  life  is,  "Poor  thing!  She 
is  pitiable.  She  has  no  one.  Her  daughter  died.  Her  sons  are  away.  She 
is  all  alone." 

Pathos  sometimes  gets  in  its  full  appeal  and  then  relaxes.  Coyote's 
cry  of  despair  arouses  undue  sympathy  until  it  is  learned  that  he  has 
left  his  spittle  to  cry  for  him  while  he  is  playing  a  trick  (4).  When  the 
chief  and  his  people  were  starving  after  leaving  Lynx  and  his  wife  they 
heard  peculiar  noises  from  the  home  of  Magpie  and  Rabbit  who  lived 
together.  "Go  help  them  if  you  can.  Perhaps  the  poor  things  are  dying," 
ordered  the  chief.  The  messengers  reported  that  they  were  so  hungry 
they  were  eating  moss.  The  fact  was  that  with  one  side  of  the  mouth 
they  were  eating  strips  of  grease  which  Lynx  had  given  them  and  from 
the  other  side  moss  hung  down  to  fool  peepers,  so  that  the  sympathy 
was  wasted  (9a,  b). 

The  discussion  of  cruelty  gives  some  idea  of  the  use  of  macabre.  Once 
more  Coyote  is  the  protagonist  for  he  stops  at  nothing,  be  it  humorous, 
pathetic  or  gruesome.  Coyote  not  only  killed  his  neighbor,  Deer,  but 
tortured  him  before  he  died.  Coyote's  arguments  with  Mole  who,  through 
pity  tried  to  help  Deer,  add  humor  to  the  situation.  This  story  continues 
to  show  Coyote  in  his  worst  light,  for  he  not  only  destroyed  the  whole 
Deer  family,  but  he  cruelly  killed  his  own  sons  also  and  was  about  to 
devour  his  little  daughter  when  thwarted  by  Mole  (6). 

The  account  of  the  adventure  during  which  Coyote  loses  his  eyes  is 
gruesome  in  the  extreme.  The  deceit  he  used  with  the  Pheasant  children 
and  the  terrible  condition  he  left  them  in  is  the  extreme  of  cold-blooded- 
ness. There  is  however  even  in  this  episode  an  element  of  wit.  The  con- 
ception of  Eye  Juggling  (7)  is  not  an  appealing  one,  yet  the  episode 
illustrates  a  use  of  a  kind  of  humor  much  more  widespread  than  the 
Coeur  d'Alene  area. 

One  of  the  best  defences  the  Coeur  d'Alene  has  against  his  present 
social  environment  is  satire.  He  is  proud.  Even  before  the  coming  of 
the  Whites  he  admired  some  of  his  neighbors  and  despised  others.  These 
attitudes  were  expressed  indirectly  by  satiric  remarks.  It  is  no  wonder 
then  that  he  turns  this  weapon  against  the  intruders  in  his  country.  The 
way  in  which  the  story  of  Little  Beaver  (5)  is  interpreted  nowadays  is 
interesting.  The  Grizzly  is  thought  of  as  Washington,  that  is,  the  U.  S. 
Government,  the  hard  food  is  the  humiliation  constantly  borne  by  the 
Indians  and  the  gradual  encroachment  upon  their  lands  and  rights,  the 
interpreters  are  traitor  Coyotes.  The  Spokan,  with  whom  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  were  usually  at  peace,  come  in  for  a  dig  when  Coyote  creates  the 


The  Style  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  33 

tribes.  He  was  all  finished  with  cutting  up  Gobbler  and  throwing  about 
pieces  which  finally  became  the  various  tribes.  Then  he  looked  at  his 
hands,  noticed  they  were  bloody  and  wiped  them  on  some  grass.  He  threw 
the  grass  away  and  the  blood  on  it  became  the  Spokan.  "That  is  the 
reason  they  have  always  been  so  poor." 

There  is  no  great  opportunity  for  comparing  individual  styles  of  the 
Coeur  d'Alene,  since  there  were  only  three  informants.  There  are  how- 
ever two  narratives  told  by  each  of  the  two  informants  who  knew  myths 
and  the  style  of  the  historical  narratives  may  also  be  compared.  A  brief 
description  of  my  two  main  informants  will  account  for  the  difference 
in  the  style  of  their  versions  as  it  is  primarily  a  matter  of  temperament. 

Dorothy  Nicodemus  was  the  widow  of  Nicodemus  who  gave  Teit  most 
of  the  material  in  his  Coeur  d'Alene  ethnology.  Nicodemus  died  many 
years  ago.  Dorothy  was  an  eager  and  interested  student  of  his  lore,  she 
had  a  good  memory  and  took  great  pride  in  her  knowledge.  She  was 
over  seventy  at  the  time  the  tales  were  recorded  and  her  own  experiences 
alone  provided  much  of  interest.  Some  of  them  were  bitter,  but  she  had 
a  kindly  temperament  and  a  sweet  disposition.  As  a  result  she  was  fre- 
quently exploited.  During  the  last  few  years  she  gradually  became  totally 
blind  and  was  consequently  quite  dependent  upon  others.  She  managed 
however  to  catch  muskrats  in  her  brook,  to  cook  for  herself  and  for  her 
sons  and  grandson  when  they  were  home  and  to  perform  other  necessary 
tasks.  She  enjoyed  company  and  loved  to  tell  stories.  All  the  acts  of  the 
■tales  were  graphic  and  alive  to  her  and  by  intonation  and  gesture  she 
added  much  to  the  intrinsic  nature  of  the  style.  I  have  mentioned  before 
her  habit — a  bad  one  from  our  point  of  view — of  using  "like  this  he 
did,"  the  simile  depending  upon  gesture  and  act  rather  than  upon  words. 
She  preferred  to  retain  old  forms  in  her  tales  and  almost  never  con- 
sciously brought  in  modernities.  She  could  explain  some  phrases  only  by 
saying,  "It  belongs  to  the  story."  She  was  just  as  conservative  in  her 
outlook  on  life.  Spiritually  she  belonged  to  the  days  when  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  possessed  and  used  the  rivers,  lakes,  forests  and  prairies  as 
fishing,  hunting  and  digging  grounds.  Her  style  reflected  this  attitude 
and  nothing  materially  or  even  intangibly  modern  changed  it.  Her  humor 
was  quiet  but  copious.  She  appreciated  a  joke  with  the  best  and  she  had 
many  at  her  tongue's  end. 

Tom  Miyal  was  a  nice  contrast  to  Dorothy.  His  humor  was  active  and 
continuous.  Everyone  expected  a  joke  from  Tom,  even  if  he  was  seen 
for  only  a  moment  on  the  street  or  in  passing.  In  a  gathering  a  running 
stream  of  wisecracks  was  expected  from  him.  He  was  invariably  good- 
tempered  and  it  was  said  that  he  could  always  be  depended  upon  to 
make  fair  judgments.  Some  of  these  characteristics  were  reflected  in 


34  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

his  versions  of  the  myths.  Wit  is  the  outstanding  difference  between  his 
and  Dorothy's.  Hers  are  humorous,  whimsical ;  his,  sparkling,  ridiculous. 
One  way  in  which  he  attained  his  effects  is  through  the  use  of  modern 
elements.  He  has  the  Land  People  "phone"  upriver  to  make  a  trap  for 
Snake  (10).  His  vocabulary,  which  can  be  ascertained  only  by  a  detailed 
comparison  of  the  texts,  differs  considerably  from  Dorothy's,  and  he 
was  able  by  changing  tone  and  accent,  to  make  the  use  of  foreign  phrases 
even  funnier  than  they  ordinarily  sounded. 

The  recorded  texts  do  not  do  justice  to  his  style.  He  was  primarily 
concerned  with  movement,  with  action,  with  the  development  of  the 
myth.  He  had  no  conception  of  the  slowness  of  some  white  recorders  and 
often  had  to  be  slowed  down.  Consequently  some  of  his  phrases  are  lost. 

A  summary  of  the  means  by  which  the  Coeur  d'Alene  achieve  effects, 
when  compared  with  other  literary  styles,  shows  some  noticeable  nega- 
tives. In  comparison  with  the  Thompson  tales,  for  instance,  extreme 
localization  as  a  stylistic  factor  is  absent.  Every  Coeur  d'Alene  narrative 
has  its  local  setting  even  if  it  is  not  mentioned  in  the  tale,  but  in  only 
one  case  is  it  used  to  explain  the  appearance  of  natural  phenomena  as 
they  exist  today.  When  Coyote  went  to  the  Coeur  d'Alene  after  securing 
the  salmon  he  made  a  little  dam  in  the  lake  where  he  hid  them.  The 
rocks  can  now  be  seen  on  Lake  Coeur  d'Alene,  showing  where  Coyote 
set  up  his  sticks  (8).  Even  without  Thompson  texts,  this  type  of  treat- 
ment is  striking1  and  just  as  remarkable  is  its  absence  from  Coeur 
d'Alene  tales. 

Several  other  conventionalizations,  marked  in  other  styles,  are  not 
used  in  Coeur  d'Alene ;  namely,  color  and  poetic  allusions  to  natural 
phenomena  like  clouds,  mists,  mountains  or  stars.  True,  Thunder — 
thunder  and  lightning  are  identical — is  an  actor,  and  an  important  one, 
and  mountains  are  used  as  settings,  as  are  rivers  and  lakes,  but  through- 
out the  myth-body  these  elements  are  utilitarian  and  objective  rather 
than  a  matter  of  adornment.  A  comparison  with  other  styles  will  make 
clear  this  lack.  The  Navajo  myth  is  inconceivable  without  the  stress  laid 
on  color,  on  rain  streamers,  rainbows,  sky  curtains  and  sunbeams.  It  is 
difficult  to  think  of  Pawnee  mythology  without  starlore,  of  Hawaiian 
literature  without  a  curtain  of  mist.  Mole  in  her  red  dress  is  the  only 
dash  of  color  in  the  grayness  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  camas  flat.  There 
are  a  few  Coeur  d'Alene  tales  which  end  with  transformations  into  stars, 
but  they  are,  like  Thunder,  Cold  and  Heat,  a  matter  of  fact  and  not  of 
poetry.  Contacts  between  Earth  People  and  Sky  People  are  not  numerous 
and  the  few  there  are  contain  no  speculative  imagery. 

XMAFLS  11. 


The  Style  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  35 

The  body  of  Coeur  d'Alene  mythology  which  has  been  examined  in 
minute  detail  is  small  but  demonstrates  clearly  the  conventionalizations 
which  compose  the  style.  Plots  and  motivations  are  not  unique  but  are 
those  used  in  a  large  part  of  North  America.  Several  episodes  are  char- 
acteristic of  Coeur  d'Alene  and  the  unification  of  episodes  shows  certain 
peculiarities.  The  characterizations  and  stylistic  devices,  both  linguistic 
and  rhetorical,  are  of  greatest  importance  in  achieving  effects.  Of  these 
those  which  contribute  the  most,  cannot  be  adequately  rendered  in  Eng- 
lish :  reduplication,  vowel  lengthening,  sound,  song  and  gesture.  Such 
unfamiliar  devices  are  capable  of  adding  greatly  to  the  total  effect. 

The  essential  impression  is  that  of  action.  Coeur  d'Alene  stories  never 
drag;  they  move  and  frequently  they  move  fast.  The  action  is  staccato 
in  effect.  The  emphasis  on  situation  is  strong  and  there  is  a  keen 
psychological  understanding  of  human  nature.  There  have  been  numerous 
examples  of  tolerance  and  understanding  of  human  foibles,  and  the  brief 
historical  tale  illustrates  them  further.  The  Boy  of  My  Story  (42) 
could  hardly  have  been  in  a  more  dangerous  position  than  when  his 
camp  was  attacked  by  the  enemy.  At  a  warning  from  his  mother  he 
had  jumped  up  out  of  a  sound  sleep  and  started  to  run  with  her.  Sud- 
denly he  bethought  himself  of  the  new  little  suit  his  mother  had  made 
for  him  to  wear  after  his  quest  for  a  vision.  The  securing  of  the  suit 
became  more  important  to  him  at  the  moment  than  life  itself.  He  ran 
back  for  it  and,  in  the  split  second  it  took  to  grasp  it  from  under  his 
pillow,  his  eye  caught  the  prone  form  of  his  father.  His  mind  was  on 
his  suit,  his  eye  on  his  father,  at  the  moment  when  a  shot  came  from 
the  enemy.  In  that  instant  he  retained  the  presence  of  mind  to  fall  flat 
on  the  ground.  Thus  the  story  catches  the  swift  essential  points  of  a 
dramatic  moment.  The  Coeur  d'Alene  language  is  peculiarly  fitted  to 
portray  them  adequately.  An  outstanding  characteristic  of  the  narratives 
is  vividness,  which  is  achieved  primarily  because  the  Coeur  d'Alene  have 
a  sense  for  the  dramatic,  embellish  it  with  humor  and  traditionally  select 
linguistic  and  rhetorical  elements. 


CHAPTER  III 

Cultural  Reflections  in  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology 

In  addition  to  stressing  the  style  of  the  tales  I  take  occasion  to  point 
out  the  more  unusual  reflections  of  culture  in  them  whether  they  are 
implicit  or  explicit.  Such  hints  have  particular  value  in  the  case  of  a 
culture  like  this  one  since  details  from  other  sources  are  so  incomplete. 
The  facts  are  avowedly  fragmentary  but  some  corroborate,  a  few 
contradict  and  others  add  to,  our  knowledge  of  the  life  as  described  by 
Teit  (ARBAE  45 :23-396). 

Material  culture  and  economic  life.  The  general  pattern  of  the  material 
culture  is  quite  well  known  since  it  differs  little  from  that  of  the  Salish 
and  northern  Plateau  neighbors,  the  Flathead,  Okanagan,  and  Nez 
Perce,  for  example.  However  there  are  a  few  interesting  differences. 
The  myths  most  often  mention  only  the  general  features  of  material  and 
economic  life,  taking  for  granted  perhaps  that  everyone  knows  the 
details. 

Points  were  fastened  to  arrowshafts  with  pitch.  Little  Beaver's  mother 
split  the  toe  next  to  the  small  one  so  he  could  catch  a  coal  to  melt  pitch 
for  fastening  his  arrow  as  he  stumbled  through  the  fire  at  Grizzly 
Bear's  home  (5).  It  was  the  custom  to  fix  the  arrows  just  before  using 
them,  for  Little  Beaver  carried  his  points  in  his  hair  and,  after  securing 
a  coal,  sat  down  and  attached  them  to  the  shafts.  Coyote  prepared  his 
arrow  and  set  it  to  dry  when  he  contemplated  killing  Deer  (6).  In  the 
myths  feathers  of  half-grown  eagles  were  used  for  arrows.  Grizzly  was 
the  expert  arrow  feather er  (22).  Curiously  enough  Teit  does  not  men- 
tion eagle  feathers  for  arrows  but  only  those  of  hawk  and  grouse 
(ARBAE  45:99). 

Teit  (ARBAE  45:97)  has  not  identified  the  bowwood  but  it  is 
probably  yew.  This  wood  was  used  by  Catbird  for  his  bow  (22). 

The  use  of  grass  thread  is  mentioned,  but  there  are  no  details  as  to 
its  character  (4;  and  cp.  ARBAE  45:47). 

Coyote  gathered  cedar  bark  for  a  bucket  which  he  made  on  the  spot 
for  immediate  use  (6).  A  bucket,  not  further  described,  was  one  of 
Coyote's  favorite  utensils.  He  tried  to  kill  badger  because  one  of  her 
children  took  it  from  the  house  (15). 

Constant  references  are  made  to  the  house  of  mats  but  there  is  no 
description  of  them  in  the  myths.  They  seem  to  refer  to  the  conical  mat 

36 


Cultural  Reflections  in  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  37 

lodge  described  by  Teit  (ARBAE  45:58).  In  tale  4  Black  Swan, 
Coyote's  daughter-in-law,  was  probably  carrying  the  mats.  There  was 
some  kind  of  a  vestibule,  not  adequately  described  by  the  informants, 
where  things  were  stored.  This  seems  to  be  referred  to  in  tale  23,  when 
Skunk  offered  food  to  the  Squirrel  girls.  There  was  some  discussion,  not 
definitely  agreed  upon,  as  to  whether  the  Squirrel  girls  were  hidden  in 
this  place  or  under  Skunk's  and  Fisher's  beds.  Small  personal  objects 
were  hidden  under  the  mats  which  served  as  beds  and  pillows  and  even 
today  the  Coeur  d'Alene  keep  their  most  cherished  small  articles  among 
the  bed-clothing  or  under  mattress  or  pillow.  Turtle,  after  scalping  the 
Nez  Perce  chief,  hid  under  his  pillow  (37).  One  type  of  revenge  was 
to  burn  the  house  of  an  enemy  (1,  22,  37). 

One  of  the  rush  mats  served  as  a  door  curtain.  "To  peep  into  a  house" 
is  really  "to  crawl  up  to  the  house  and  pull  aside  the  curtain"  (3). 
When  the  chief's  two  daughters  came  to  Crane's  house,  hungry  as  they 
were  for  meat,  they  saw  a  door  curtain  ornamented  with  cooked  camas 
(8).  It  is  interesting  to  observe  the  difference  in  the  attitude  of  these 
two  girls  surfeited  with  a  vegetable  diet  and  longing  for  meat  and  that 
of  Hansel  and  Gretel  when  they  came  to  the  house  made  of  sugar. 
European  luxury  was  lost  on  the  Coeur  d'Alene  girls.  The  description 
of  Raven's  entrance  into  the  house  (9)  shows  it  to  have  been  a  long 
house.  He  flew  through  the  crack  left  open  for  smoke,  entering  at  one 
end,  then  along  the  ridge  at  the  top  of  the  house  and  between  the  poles 
at  the  opposite  end. 

Punk  was  used.  Fisher  put  a  piece  in  the  fire,  and  during  the  night 
every  time  Skunk  tried  to  visit  the  hidden  Squirrel  girls,  Fisher  kicked 
the  rotten  log  and  the  house  was  lighted  so  that  Skunk  was  ashamed  (23) . 

The  woven  bag  is  a  characteristic  Plateau  element.  It  is  mentioned  as 
a  matter  of  fact.  Cricket  kept  his  belongings  in  one  (20).  Among  them 
was  a  quantity  of  sinew  thread  which  Coyote  ate  as  soon  as  he  found 
it  (cp.  ARBAE  45:46).  The  Spiders  (4)  had  control  of  the  thread 
supply  and  were  the  ideal  weavers.  Woodtick  wove  bags  of  Indian 
hemp  as  a  pastime  (16). 

Dentalium  Girl  and  her  husband,  Redheaded  Woodpecker,  had  a 
baby.  They  made  for  it  an  ideal  cradle  board.  The  background  of  the 
ornamentation  was  solid  white  with  dentalia  and  it  was  dotted  here  and 
there  with  tufts  of  the  father's  red  head  feathers  (24) . 

There  are  two  references  to  magpie-skin  blankets  or  robes  but  they 
seem  to  be  poetical  allusions.  Magpie  and  Rabbit  each  returned  from 
their  journey  offering  their  blankets  to  Lynx's  child  (9).  Each  of  them 
offered  of  course  the  only  thing  he  had  and  it  could  not  well  have  been 
a  deer  or  buffalo  robe.  The  cruel  boy  of  tale  27  poked  out  the  eyes  of 


38  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

ten  magpies,  skinned  them,  dried  the  skins  and  made  himself  a  robe. 
Quite  probably  these  are  cases  of  exaggeration  and  do  not  reflect  actual 
conditions. 

According  to  Teit  (ARBAE  45 :82)  ear  pendants  were  made  of 
various  shells.  Nighthawk  overcame  the  vengeful  Rolling  Rock  by 
shattering  it  (19).  Coyote  suggested  that  the  bits  be  used  for  ear 
ornaments.  The  informants  knew  in  only  the  vaguest  way  of  ear 
ornaments  made  of  beautiful  stone. 

The  foods  mentioned  in  the  tales  show  considerable  variety.  The  food 
of  animals  is  usually  what  they  eat  nowadays.  The  chief  Coeur  d'Alene 
foods  were  the  flesh  of  animals,  fish  and  vegetable  products  of  which 
roots,  especially  camas,  were  the  most  important.  Many  references  are 
made  to  camas  as  well  as  to  camas  gathering.  Differentiation  is  always 
made  between  raw  and  cooked  camas,  and  camas  cooked  with  blood 
(6,  28).  The  oven  in  which  camas,  wild  onions  and  other  roots  and 
vegetables  are  cooked  for  three  days  is  referred  to  in  tale  7,  although 
here  the  oven  is  used  for  cooking  children  instead.  The  brief  description 
corresponds  with  that  given  by  Teit  (ARBAE  45  :92). 

In  1929  several  of  the  old  women  still  gathered  the  old  foods  and 
baked  them  for  a  winter  treat.  Everyone  in  the  tribe  gets  hungry  for 
them  but  few  are  willing  to  go  to  the  trouble  necessary. 

Susan  Antelope  who  was  over  eighty  was  famous  for  her  camas.  She  spent  at 
least  three  weeks  digging  camas  and  wild  onions  and  gathering  the  black  moss 
(Alectoria)  which  are  much  prized.  When  she  was  finished  she  spread  them  neatly 
on  the  floor  of  the  barn  to  dry  and  they  were  a  lovely  sight,  the  camas  a  silvery 
white  and  the  onions  a  purplish  pink. 

After  these  things  had  been  gathered  Mrs.  Antelope  spent  several  days  collecting 
big  chunks  of  wood  for  her  fire  and  pine  bark  which  was  used  for  the  covering 
next  to  the  last  layer  of  earth.  When  she  was  nearly  ready  to  construct  her  oven, 
she  travelled  a  long  distance  to  a  place  where  a  particular  broad  fleshy  leaf  was 
found.  This  leaf  gives  the  final  excellent  quality  to  the  cooked  camas.  Everything 
was  now  ready  for  the  building  of  the  structure.  The  entire  family,  mother,  daugh- 
ter and  two  grandsons,  worked  for  three  days  from  early  morning  (about  sunrise) 
until  dark  cleaning,  that  is,  skinning,  the  camas  and  onions.  After  all  were  cleaned 
they  were  packed  in  burlap  sacks,  each  kind  by  itself. 

A  pit  about  three  feet  deep  was  dug  in  which  a  fire  was  built  and  kept  very  hot 
for  several  hours  in  order  to  heat  the  rocks  which  had  been  placed  on  the  bottom 
of  the  pit.  Then  the  work  of  constructing  the  oven  was  begun.  Mrs.  Antelope's 
grandson  helped  her  with  this  part  of  the  work.  The  coals  were  left  in  the  pit  and 
the  wood  embers  were  shovelled  out.  Then  the  workers  arranged  grass  on  top  of 
the  coals,  on  the  layer  of  grass  the  sacks  full  of  food,  then  the  large  fleshy  leaves. 
The  steam  emitted  from  the  whole  thing  when  these  leaves  were  put  on  smelt 
slightly  sweet  and  very  savory.  Next  came  the  bark  and  finally,  earth  covered  the 


Cultural  Reflections  in  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  39 

entire  structure.  The  burning  brands  were  now  placed  against  a  circular  fortifica- 
tion of  wood  chunks  and  the  fire  was  kept  burning  energetically.  On  the  day  chosen 
for  the  baking  there  was  a  strong  wind  and  nice  judgment  was  required  to  keep 
the  fire  sufficiently  active  to  bake  and  at  the  same  time  to  control  the  blaze  so  it 
would  not  become  dangerously  hot.  The  result  was  an  error  on  the  side  of  caution 
and  Mrs.  Antelope  was  much  disappointed,  two  days  later,  upon  cautiously  sampling 
her  camas  to  find  it  was  not  done.  They  thereupon  gathered  old  fence  rails  and 
other  fuel  and  in  half  a  day  more  she  was  satisfied. 

It  has  been  my  purpose  by  this  lengthy  and  somewhat  personal 
description  to  give  an  idea  of  the  amount  of  labor  and  patience  in- 
volved in  the  preparation  of  this  food.  It  should  be  remembered  how- 
ever that  "bakings"  of  this  sort  are  not  made  often,  for  at  each  one  a 
large  amount  of  food  is  prepared.  Furthermore  in  the  old  days  it  was 
not  necessary  to  travel  so  far  or  to  search  so  diligently  in  order  to 
gather  the  many  specific  things  needed.  Nevertheless  even  under  the 
best  circumstances  the  amount  of  labor  required  was  considerable,  if 
we  were  to  count  only  the  cleaning  of  the  roots  and  the  construction 
of  the  oven. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  understand  the  satisfaction  the  Indians  take  in  a 
job  of  this  kind  well  done,  but  it  is  not  easy  to  describe.  The  word  went 
out  when  Mrs.  Antelope's  camas  was  finished.  She  made  a  special  point 
of  sending  some  to  her  many  friends.  Others  were  especially  invited  to 
the  house.  They  all  get  hungry  for  the  old  food  and  Mrs.  Antelope  had 
the  reputation  of  making  it  the  best.  The  "best"  taste  is  due  to  the  use 
of  the  fleshy  leaves.  Most  of  the  old  women,  even  Susan's  best  friend 
who  helped  her  dig  the  roots,  sprinkle  sugar  over  their  camas  while 
baking  it.  It  improves  the  taste  but  is  not  "quite  as  good"  as  that  secured 
by  steaming  with  the  leaves. 

After  this  digression  let  us  turn  once  more  to  the  consideration  of 
food  used  in  the  myths.  Several  roots  are  mentioned  besides  camas.  The 
root  father  of  the  Transformer  ( 1 ) ,  had  a  yellow  flower  somewhat  like 
a  sunflower  but  smaller.  This  was  probably  hogfennel  (Peucedanum 
officinale).  It  was  not  eaten  by  the  Coeur  d'Alene — perhaps  that  is  why 
it  was  a  disgrace  to  have  it  as  a  father — but  was  baked  by  the  Spokan. 
The  second  wife  of  Dorothy's  father  was  a  Spokan  who  often  prepared 
it.  Dorothy  tried  to  eat  it  but  it  was  too  strong  for  her.  She  was  sorry 
she  could  not  eat  it  because  it  was  very  nice-looking.  When  baked  it  split 
open  and  looked  like  a  very  ripe  apple. 

There  was  a  root  (masmen)  which  had  a  bad  odor  and  became  black 
after  cooking.  It  did  not  taste  bad  though  and  was  liked  by  many. 
Coyote,  in  releasing  the  salmon,  scared  them  away  from  certain  places 
by  telling  them  the  rivers  had  masmas  roots   (8).  This  food  arouses 


40  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

gustatory  emotions  comparable  to  those  produced  by  Limburger  cheese 
or  sauerkraut. 

Another  vegetable  food  mentioned  is  the  serviceberry  (8,  14,  44). 
Coyote  said  the  women  could  gather  them  in  winter  and  enticed  them  to 
the  serviceberry  flats  only  to  disappoint  them  in  the  end. 

References  show  equal  stress  on  vegetable  and  animal  food.  The 
quest  for  game  is  naturally  a  common  element  of  plot  or  motivation. 
Most  parts  of  the  animal  were  used.  Deer  lights  were  hanging  in 
quantities  outside  of  Lynx's  home  (9),  blood  was  kept  in  the  paunch 
of  the  deer  (28),  Coyote  gave  his  daughter  the  head  of  the  goose  as  a 
delicacy  (6).  The  entrails  and  the  fat  and  meat  toward  the  tail  of  the 
animal  were  considered  inferior.  These  were  the  parts  modestly  re- 
quested by  Skunk  before  the  advent  of  the  Squirrel  girls  (23).  It  is 
said  that  "scraps"  were  usually  given  children.  The  boy  of  tale  46  got 
tired  of  them  and  cut  himself  a  piece  of  good  meat  without  asking.  These 
scraps  were  probably  somewhat  like  those  which  constituted  Skunk's 
daily  diet. 

Hard  times  were  in  sight  when  there  was  nothing  but  blood  to  eat 
(6,  24).  The  fact  that  nothing  but  a  fawn  was  secured  in  a  hunt  is 
symbolic  of  scarcity  (8,  9).  There  were  many  evidences  of  plenty 
at  Lynx's  (9),  Woodtick's  (16)  and  Crane's  (18)  homes,  as  well  as  at 
the  dance  house  Coyote  visited  (7)  and  in  other  places.  Deer  lights, 
bladders  containing  fat  (7),  rabbit  skins  (1)  and  meat  hanging  to  dry 
gave  such  evidence.  The  Coeur  d'Alene  ideal  was  that  after  all  guests 
ate  until  they  were  surfeited  much  should  be  left  for  them  to  take  home. 
A  parent  would  not  eat  all  he  wanted  without  reserving  some  for  his 
children.  If  there  did  not  seem  to  be  enough  he  would  surreptitiously 
tuck  some  away  (9).  Grease  was  appreciated  for  various  purposes. 

Strips  of  dried  fat  were  a  great  delicacy.  This  food  was  given  to 
Magpie  and  Rabbit  by  Lynx,  a  delicate  compliment  by  which  he  ex- 
pressed his  gratitude  for  their  aid  to  his  wife  (9).  The  girls  who  visited 
Crane  were  urged  to  eat  all  they  wished  when  they  quietly  discussed 
keeping  out  some  fat  to  be  used  as  "cold  cream"  for  their  hands,  as 
Crane  promised  they  should  take  plenty  along  home  (8).  Coyote  got 
into  trouble  because  of  his  liking  for  fat.  He  was  given  fat  as  medicine 
with  the  injunction  not  to  look  at  it,  disobeyed  and  ate  it,  thus  becoming 
blind  a  second  time.  He  snapped  at  the  bladders  full  of  fat  hanging 
from  the  roof  of  the  dance  house  and  they  became  rocks  which  covered 
him  (7).  The  disk  which  Sun  possessed  and  which  the  Coyotes  and 
Antelopes  struggled  for  is  described  as  a  disk  of  tallow  (3),  as  is  the 
toy  Lynx's  little  boy  played  with  (9).  Grizzly  was  attracted  by  the  fat 
in  the  trap  which  was  one  of  Coyote's  powers  (5).  In  spite  of  his  un- 


Cultural  Reflections  in  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  41 

usual  greediness  for  fat  Coyote  complained  bitterly  when  he  got  nothing 
but  bones  and  fat  in  the  house  supplied  by  Lynx  (9). 

Marrow  was  eaten  and  Coyote  was  voracious  enough  to  be  tempted 
by  his  own  marrow  (7). 

Peculiarities  in  food  habits  are  as  follows :  Coyote  bragged  of  his 
children  eating  rosehips  (3).  When  Coyote  was  at  the  end  of  his  string 
he  ate  two  mice  (2).  References  to  such  straits  are  considered  very 
funny  and  do  not  seem  to  have  any  connection  with  the  fact  that  the 
mice  were  his  aunties.  Cricket  ate  grass  and  was  killed  by  Coyote's  kind- 
ness in  forcing  him  to  eat  rich  fat  (18).  Deer  ate  earth  (6)  perhaps 
for  its  salt,  a  habit  which  Coyote  could  not  understand.  Grizzly,  the 
man-catcher,  gave  his  guests  something  so  hard  that  only  a  trained  per- 
son could  eat  it.  This  was  doubtless  something  supernatural  (5). 

Numerous  references  are  made  to  fishing  (1,  47)  but  there  is  nothing 
specific  or  unusual  about  it  except  where  it  is  avowedly  mysterious  (22, 
27).  There  are  brief  allusions  to  fishing  by  torchlight  (10,  27;  cp. 
ARBAE  45:106). 

Several  methods  of  hunting  are  partially  described  in  the  myths.  One, 
that  of  driving  the  deer  toward  scorched  pieces  of  skin,  was  used  by 
Crane  (8).  The  description  is  not  very  full  but,  as  given  by  Teit 
(ARBAE  45  :102),  is  quite  satisfactory.  The  other  is  hunting  by  means 
of  a  so-called  fire  corral.  A  fire  ring  was  built  around  a  large  tract  so 
as  to  call  the  animals  to  run  toward  the  center  where  the  hunters  waited 
(12,  40).  It  was  a  method  of  hunting  not  generally  esteemed  because 
of  its  danger  (40;  cp.  ARBAE  45:102). 

The  myths  carefully  enjoin  hunters  to  take  not  more  than  two  deer 
apiece  (8,  13).  Coyote  disobeyed  the  leader's  orders  and  came  off  with 
merely  a  fawn.  Teit  does  not  mention  any  limit  to  the  number  of 
animals  which  could  be  captured.  More  commonly  when  any  kind  of 
drive  was  undertaken  all  game  within  the  area  was  taken  (ARBAE 
45:101  ff.).  The  mythological  limitation  is  quite  in  line  with  Coeur 
d'Alene  conservation  principles  but,  if  too  much  game  was  secured  at 
one  time,  it  is  quite  likely  none  was  wasted  but  the  surplus  was  dried 
and  kept  for  future  use. 

Cricket  secured  an  elk  by  scaring  him  over  a  cliff ;  Catbird  by  crawling 
into  the  elk's  stomach  and  killing  him  (22).  In  both  cases  the  animal 
was  butchered  and  the  meat  smoked  on  the  spot.  To  skin  the  larger 
animals  a  cut  was  made  around  the  nose  and  one  from  nose  to  tail 
anteriorly  (13).  Doubtless  the  meat  of  large  animals  was  often  smoked 
before  it  was  taken  home  (4,  22).  In  the  story  of  Calling  the  Deer  (16) 
some  of  the  cuts  of  meat  are  vaguely  mentioned. 

Teit  mentions  (ARBAE  45  :96)  the  snaring  of  small  game.  Ermine 
was  trapped  especially  for  its  pelt  which  is  much  prized  for  decoration. 


42  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

The  Ugly  Husband  was  able  to  snare  this  cagey  animal  when  all  the 
others  failed  (11). 

Altogether  if  we  depended  upon  mythology  for  our  knowledge  of 
Coeur  d'Alene  material  culture  we  should  have  only  a  vague  and  un- 
satisfactory picture,  for  details  are  rarely  mentioned  and  frequently  the 
things  most  obvious  to  the  Coeur  d'Alene  are  merely  alluded  to. 

There  were  many  ways  of  dressing  the  hair  (ARBAE  45:83).  The 
description  of  the  way  Little  Beaver's  mother  dressed  his  hair  to  show 
he  was  grown  up  is  not  detailed  enough  to  match  exactly  any  of  the 
twenty  styles  described  by  Teit.  She  combed  the  hair,  braided  it  and 
folded  it  up  behind,  tied  it  and  stuck  the  arrowpoints  in  it  (5).  Foreigners 
were  recognized  by  the  way  their  hair  was  combed.  The  woman  captured 
by  an  enemy  had  had  her  hair  combed  differently  and  smeared  with  red 
paint  immediately  after  capture  for,  when  she  returned  home  after  an 
almost  miraculous  escape,  the  first  remark  of  her  friends  and  relatives 
was,  "Who  combed  you  that  way?"  (44). 

The  custom  of  combing  the  hair  of  a  spouse  or  child  as  a  mark  of 
intimacy  was  the  rule  (11)  among  the  Coeur  d'Alene  as  among  most 
Indians.  Delousing  was  also  considered  a  sign  of  affection.  Coyote, 
hypocrite  that  he  was,  used  it  as  a  ruse  to  entice  his  sons  to  their 
death  (6). 

Social  Customs.  Our  notion  of  the  spiritual  side  of  Coeur  d'Alene  cul- 
ture would  be  as  sketchy  as  that  of  the  material  if  we  had  only  myths. 
There  are  nevertheless  a  few  additions  which  may  be  made  to  the  data 
already  collected,  but  far  more  important  is  the  understanding  we  may 
get  of  the  attitudes  of  the  people  toward  these  customs.  These  may  be 
learned  only  by  witnessing  the  behavior  of  the  people  or  by  a  study  of 
their  criticism  of  it  as  expressed  in  the  narratives. 

The  organization  of  the  tribe  was  territorial  (ARBAE  45  :150).  Each 
village  or  band  had  certain  lands  which  they  considered  themselves 
privileged  to  use.  A  few  families  forming  a  band  or  village  group  oc- 
cupied a  special  territory.  No  one  from  another  place  could  hunt  or  fish 
there  safely  without  permission.  Trespass  was  resented.  This  was  the 
offense  which  got  Muskrat  into  trouble  with  the  Otter  boys  (30). 

The  territorial  unit  is  what  is  constantly  referred  to  by  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  tales,  "There  was  village.  There  was  a  chief,"  or  "There  were 
houses,  many  houses."  The  position  of  the  home  of  the  actors  is  always 
thought  of  with  respect  to  the  position  of  the  chief's  (Bald  Eagle's) 
house. 

The  method  of  obtaining  a  husband  for  a  girl  most  frequently  men- 
tioned in  the  narratives  was  to  send  her  to  a  chief  as  a  kind  of  offering. 
This  was  sometimes  done  by  a  poor  man  who  wished  to  benefit  his 


Cultural  Reflections  in  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  43 

daughters  (8,  23,  41).  Teit  remarks  (ARBAE  45  :170)  that  the  honored 
or  wealthy  man  might  refuse  to  take  the  girl  for  his  wife  but  he  rarely 
did.  The  impression  derived  from  the  tales  is  that  the  man  felt  honored 
and  was  glad  to  have  the  girls  who  were  sent.  For  instance,  Chief 
Waxane  went  to  the  trouble  of  destroying  the  entire  family  of  a  man 
who,  under  false  pretenses,  took  the  girl  sent  to  him  by  the  chief  of 
another  tribe  (41).  To  judge  by  the  way  in  which  this  custom  was  re- 
garded in  story  and  in  fact  there  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  the  custom 
was  abused.  It  is  likely  that  a  single  refusal  would  cause  families  to 
consider  the  matter  most  carefully  in  the  future  and  would  thus  for  a 
long  time  restrict  the  proposal  on  the  part  of  the  girl's  family. 

An  example  of  marriage  by  touching  is  that  where  Coyote  was  pushed 
by  the  Geese  brothers  from  one  bed  to  another  until  he  touched  their 
sister  and  by  so  touching  her  became  her  husband  (cp.  MAM  2:324). 
Dentalium  Girl  was  allowed  to  choose  her  husband  directly  but  was 
influenced  by  Mudhen,  the  grandmother  of  Redheaded  Woodpecker, 
who  had  intercepted  her  on  the  way  to  the  gathering  (24:  cp.  ARBAE 
45:170). 

Teit  does  not  mention  the  practice  of  polygamy  which  was  allowable, 
even  common.  Usually  there  were  not  more  than  two  wives.  A  chief 
sent  two  of  his  daughters  to  Crane  who  married  both  (8).  Two  of  the 
Squirrel  girls  were  sent  to  Fisher  and  were  coveted  by  Skunk  but,  after 
a  struggle,  were  taken  as  wives  by  Fisher  (23).  Coyote's  son  had  two 
wives  on  earth,  Black  Swan  and  Tern,  and  in  the  Sky  country  he  mar- 
ried several  Beaver  girls  (4). 

According  to  Teit  the  girl's  family  gave  gifts  to  the  man's  only  when 
they  were  sent  to  the  man  as  in  the  form  of  marriage  described  just 
above.  Usually  the  man's  family  gave  gifts  to  the  other  side.  "As  far 
as  remembered,"  writes  Teit  (ARBAE  45:170),  "there  was  no  con- 
veyance ceremony  whereby  the  bride  was  conducted  back  to  her  people 
and  presents  interchanged."  Although  there  is  no  evidence  that  it  was  a 
conveyance  ceremony  there  was  a  feeling  that,  after  the  birth  of  a  child 
to  a  couple,  one  of  whom  was  living  at  a  distance  from  his  parents,  a 
visit  which  seems  to  be  ceremonial  should  be  made  to  the  distant  parent. 
Coyote  taunted  Crane  that  he  had  nothing  to  give  his  in-laws  (8).  Each 
of  Crane's  wives  had  a  child  and  the  purpose  of  the  visit  was  to  show 
the  children  to  their  grandmother.  A  large  quantity  of  meat  was  brought 
as  a  present,  enough  for  Crane's  mother-in-law  and  for  all  her  tribe. 

The  woman  who  married  a  dog  (11)  requested  that  they  go  back  to 
visit  the  husband's  kinf  oik.  This  may  have  been  because  they  were  both 
misunderstood  by  the  girl's  own  relatives  rather  than  because  of  custom. 
The  two  tales  of  the  Water  Monsters  desiring  human  food  seem  to 


44  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

show  that  a  family  expects  the  son-in-law  to  bring  his  wife  and  child 
for  a  visit.  That  was  how  Catbird  came  into  their  power  (22),  and  they 
got  the  family  of  the  cruel  boy  in  the  same  way  (27).  Except  for  the 
return  of  Crane  no  mention  of  gifts  is  made.  It  may  be  that,  since  gifts 
are  so  commonly  exchanged  by  visitors,  there  is  no  ceremonial  sig- 
nificance especially  attaching  to  these  visits  of  spouses  to  their  in-laws. 

A  custom  not  noted  by  Teit  is  that  of  payment  for  damages.  It  was 
important  in  settling  feuds.  The  chief  of  tales  9a,  b  had  done  Lynx  a 
great  injury  by  humiliating  him  and  deserting  his  wife  and  child.  Such 
an  offense  could  be  atoned  for  only  by  offering,  not  only  valuable  gifts, 
but  the  most  precious  things  the  offender  possessed.  In  this  case  the 
villagers  took  everything  they  could  think  of,  but  Lynx's  wife  scorned 
their  gift  because  the  only  thing  she  wanted  was  Bluebird's  blue  coat. 
She  finally  got  it  and  all  was  well  once  more  with  the  village.  This  scene 
of  the  Lynx  story  is  in  absolute  agreement  with  actual  life.  After  Chief 
Waxane  had  revenged  himself  on  the  Ugly  People  for  taking  the  girl 
sent  to  him  the  mother  and  children  were  left.  Then  Waxane  had  his 
people  gather  a  pile  of  valuables  which  they  gave  to  the  survivors  of  the 
Ugly  People  as  damages  before  they  took  them  into  their  village  (41). 

An  amusing  story  from  the  childhood  of  Tom  Miyal  is  another  ex- 
ample of  how  important  it  was  considered  that  damages  be  paid.  When 
Tom  was  about  eight  or  nine  he  had  a  fight  with  another  small  boy  in 
which  he  came  out  victorious.  After  the  fight  was  over  Tom  was  told 
he  must  pay  the  boy  to  prevent  ill  feeling.  Naturally  a  child  had  few 
valuables,  but  Tom  cherished  a  small  cup  of  brown  sugar.  This  he  was 
urged  to  give  to  the  injured  boy  and  he  did  so,  but  he  never  forgot  how 
much  it  pained  him  to  do  so. 

A  person  offended  draws  his  blanket  up  over  his  face  and  sulks  (1, 
4,  13).  If  the  cause  of  his  grief  is  an  offense  he  answers  nothing  when 
addressed  by  other  members  of  the  family  or  community.  A  woman  does 
not  cook,  a  man  refuses  to  hunt  or  fish.  In  such  case  it  is  the  duty  of 
the  others  to  discover,  by  sifting  the  possibilities — the  aggrieved  one 
furnishes  no  clue — whereby  they  might  have  offended.  If  they  hit  upon 
the  right  one  they  atone  in  some  way,  usually  by  yielding  the  point.  It 
can  readily  be  guessed  that  it  is  not  always  easy  to  spot  the  transgressor. 
If  he  is  found  there  are  all  sorts  of  things  which  may  be  tried.  Suppose, 
for  instance,  a  husband  has  offended  his  wife.  He  has  been  active  all  day 
about  many  things  any  one  of  which  might  be  a  cause  (4,  13).  It  some- 
times requires  several  days  of  thought  before  a  husband  discovers  what 
his  wife  is  sulking  about.  There  is  no  doubt  that  in  Coeur  d'Alene  circles 
the  system  works.  A  man  does  not  like  to  cook  his  own  food,  nor  does 


Cultural  Reflections  in  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  45 

he  enjoy  living  with  a  sulking  woman  so,  as  soon  as  he  discovers  the 
cause,  he  sets  about  finding  a  remedy. 

In  life  as  it  is  today  closely  tied  up  with  white  culture  the  probabilities 
for  offense  are  too  numerous  and  outsiders  care  too  little  to  offer  a 
solution.  Even  then  the  Coeur  d'Alene  woman  sulks  until  her  husband 
does  something  about  it.  One  of  my  interpreters  (a  woman)  and  I  had 
been  working  in  a  most  pleasant  way  with  a  man  and  his  wife.  They 
made  great  sport  over  my  grasp  (!)  of  the  language  and  for  several 
days  we  worked  amicably.  The  informant  was  jolly  and  seemed  to  enjoy 
the  work.  His  wife  listened  to  us,  laughed  at  our  jokes,  and  seemed  in 
every  way  to  cooperate,  even  suggesting  stories  for  him  to  tell.  One  day 
however  we  went  to  their  home  to  set  a  time  for  future  work.  This  day 
we  found  the  exact  story  setting :  "She  was  silent.  She  paid  no  attention. 
She  did  not  speak."  It  was  almost  impossible  to  get  any  information  from 
the  wife.  She  answered  in  monosyllables.  We  decided  to  leave  and  gave 
her  a  message  for  her  husband.  The  interpreter  was  almost  sure  she 
would  not  deliver  our  message  that  we  were  coming  for  more  stories 
early  the  next  morning,  so  we  acted  on  this  basis  and  were  there  before 
the  informant  could  leave.  We  caught  him  just  as  he  was  driving  off  and 
he  promised  to  work  the  next  day.  We  came  at  the  appointed  time.  The 
informant  kept  seriously  to  short  tales ;  he  rarely  laughed,  had  no  vivacity 
and  at  the  end  of  the  morning  made  many  excuses  (all  ridiculous)  as 
to  why  he  should  not  work  with  us  any  more.  On  this  day  his  wife  stayed 
out  of  the  room,  came  in  only  once  or  twice  to  get  things  and  then  did 
not  greet  us  but  kept  her  eyes  on  the  floor.  The  interpreter  might  have 
been  expected  to  have  ascertained  our  offense.  To  date  many  years  later 
she  is  as  much  at  sea  as  I  am.  She  knows  and  I  know  that  the  woman 
won.  We  can  joke  about  it,  she  and  the  informant  can  joke  about  it  (I 
have  this  from  a  letter),  but  for  our  practical  purposes  the  wife  is  still 
sulking. 

Situations  like  this  are  of  course  conducive  to  narrative.  One  can 
easily  imagine  how  a  protagonist  might  try  many  solutions  in  vain  and 
thus  spin  out  the  tale  indefinitely.  However  the  custom  is  not  used  so 
extensively  as  to  become  a  repetitive  device  but  only  often  and  vividly 
enough  to  show  the  custom  clearly  and  to  influence  the  plot. 

According  to  the  myths  the  appearance  of  grief  after  a  death  (or 
desertion)  was  the  same  as  that  of  sulking.  The  survivor  pulled  his 
blanket  up  to  his  face,  sat  and  wailed  or  just  sat.  Little  Mosquito  (28) 
and  the  chief's  daughter  (9a,  b)  showed  in  this  way  their  grief  at  being 
deserted  as  did  Coyote  at  the  loss  of  his  children  (3).  This  ostentation 
lasts  four  days.  The  mourner  then  gets  up,  purifies  himself  by  sweating 
and  bathing  and  is  ready  for  new  experiences.  The  repetition  of  the 


46  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

purification  for  four  days  is  doubtless  formal  rather  than  actual  for  Teit 
remarks  that  the  period  of  mourning  varied  for  different  individuals 
(ARBAE  45:175). 

It  was  customary  to  wail  over  a  corpse  as  evidenced  by  the  historical 
tale  40,  and  by  observation. 

Teit  records  that  a  death  was  announced.  Myth  furnishes  additional 
details  about  the  method  which  was  apparently  used  when  people  died 
away  from  home.  The  announcement  was  made  by  hammering  on  a 
canoe.  The  people  then  came  out  of  their  houses  to  hear  who  had  died. 
The  ones  in  the  canoe  then  chanted  the  name  of  the  deceased  (3). 

Mourners,  according  to  the  myths,  were  accustomed  to  use  "backward 
talk."  Instead  of  singing  the  praises  of  the  deceased,  they  referred  to 
his  defects.  Coyote  thus  mourned  for  Cricket  when  he  thought  he  was 
dead  (18): 

"A  wa  wa,  should  I  be  mourning  his  big  belly? 
"A  wa  wa,  should  I  grieve   for   his    stitched-up   belly? 
"A  wa  wa,  is  it  the  back  of  his  neck  that  is  pitiable? 
"A  wa  wa,  should  I  mourn  because  he  spits?" 

When  Coyote  argued  with  Antelope  (3)  as  to  whose  children  had 
been  killed  it  was  in  the  same  vein,  but  one  mentioned  the  defects  of 
the  other's  children: 

Antelope:  "My  children  are  not  so  lazy  they  would  be  killed." 

Coyote :  "Do  my  children  not  go  to  rocky  places  and  eat  rosehips  for 
days  on  end?" 

There  is  a  hint  (not  corroborated  by  informants  because  they  did  not 
remember  it)  that  contamination  with  the  dead  was  thought  to  spoil  a 
hunter's  luck.  After  Coyote  had  killed  Deer  and  his  family  he  said 
Mole  might  spoil  his  hunting  luck  (6).  This  may  have  been  a  general 
belief  but,  on  the  other  hand,  it  may  have  been  Coyote's  persistent  scold- 
ing. One  should  be  wary,  as  are  the  Indians,  of  taking  Coyote's  behavior 
as  final  evidence  when  no  check  is  available. 

The  myths  allude  often  enough  to  games  but  furnish  us  with  no 
additional  information  regarding  them  because  they  are  not  sufficiently 
specific  (cp.  ARBAE  45:130).  Coyote  in  Gobbler's  stomach  saw  people 
playing  the  hand  game  and  "cards."  They  were  also  dancing  the  war 
dance  (2).  Coyote  and  Fox  gambled  with  the  fish  playing  the  hand 
game  (12).  When  Dorothy  and  her  sister  went  on  the  buffalo  hunt  they 
got  acquainted  with  two  Blackfoot  girls  and  they  used  to  play  it.  She 
described  it  as  follows.  They  had  two  little  sticks  just  large  enough  to 
hold  in  the  closed  hand.  One  was  plain  and  one  had  a  black  band.  The 
player  took  one  in  each  hand  and  sang.  The  opposite  side  guessed  in 


Cultural  Reflections  in  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  47 

which  hand  the  plain  stick  was.  The  counts  were  for  sides.  Little  sticks 
were  laid  on  the  ground  and  used  for  counters.  These  girls  used  to  bet 
a  small  string  of  beads  or  equivalent  trifles  (cp.  ARBAE  45:131). 
Coyote  and  his  party  used  pheasant  tails  as  pawns  (12). 

Chief  Child  of  the  Root  played  the  hoop  and  pole  game  with  Splinter 
Leg  ( 1 ) .  This  game  was  described  by  the  informant  exactly  as  Teit  has 
it  (ARBAE  45:131). 

Dancing  was  a  favorite  amusement  (7)  but  no  detailed  description 
of  social  dances  is  given.  It  was  customary  to  have  a  war  dance  before 
setting  out  on  the  warpath  (37;  ARBAE  45:188).  Turtle  scalped  the 
Nez  Perqe  chief,  brought  back  his  scalp  and  danced  with  it  (37), 
Coyote  scalped  Mrs.  Deer  (6),  Snake  held  a  war  dance  after  he  cap- 
tured Salmon  ( 10) .  The  stem  for  "dance  a  war  dance"  means  "to  make 
fun  of  the  enemy."  There  is  no  evidence  in  the  myths  of  counting  coup, 
or  of  recital  of  war  exploits  although  Teit  records  both  as  customary 
(ARBAE  45:189). 

Belief.  A  number  of  miscellaneous  beliefs  can  hardly  be  put  into  any 
category.  Coyote's  fear  that  Mole  would  spoil  his  hunting  luck  (6)  has 
been  mentioned.  It  seems  most  likely  that  this  was  through  fear  of  con- 
tamination with  the  dead  although  Coyote  himself  was  not  free  of  it 
for  he  had  tortured  Deer  to  death. 

Dreams  were  undoubtedly  thought  of  as  prophecies  (42,  44).  Evil 
befell  him  who  persisted  in  the  face  of  a  dream  warning.  A  boy  who 
was  instructed  to  seek  a  vision  had  a  pre-vision  which  portended  danger 
(42).  This  vision  should  be  differentiated,  I  think,  from  dream  and 
the  vision  ordinarily  sought  and  obtained  by  Indian  boys.  It  is  the 
stereotyped  sort  learned  from  the  Whites,  a  beautiful  woman  in  a  shining 
light,  the  whole  so  dazzling  as  to  stun  the  observer.  Nevertheless  the 
prophecy  was  more  powerful  than  the  power  the  boys  were  to  receive 
in  their  own  seeking  for  they  were  killed  and  only  the  one  who  obeyed 
the  woman  was  saved.  This  is  of  course  an  historical  tale  and  it  is  easy 
to  see  how  this  element  comes  into  it,  but  it  also  suggests  that  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  stressed  their  own  "guardian  spirit"  interpretation  of  Catholicism. 

A  girl  dreams  that  the  enemy  is  near  the  women  gathering  service- 
berries  (44).  Dreamers  warn  but  are  not  heeded.  Their  warnings  are 
believed  only  after  the  damage  has  been  done.  There  is  no  evidence 
of  dreams  not  coming  true  although  the  skeptical  attitude  suggests  that 
there  must  have  been  many  false  alarms. 

There  is  great  fear  of  the  abnormal  or  the  unusual.  This  is  brought 
out  nicely  in  the  experiences  of  the  cruel  boy  who  fished  up  incomplete 
and  unnatural  fish  (27).  The  same  fear  was  exhibited  in  the  en- 
counters with  dwarfs  (39).  They  are  small  and  hang  upside-down  on 


48  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

branches  of  trees.  Consequently  one  does  not  welcome  meetings  with 
them. 

One  of  the  texts  is  a  vivid  description  of  a  boy's  quest  for  a  guardian 
spirit  (42).  According  to  Teit  it  was  similar  among  the  Coeur  d'Alene 
and  Thompson  (ARBAE  45:192).  Boys  and  girls  went  through  the 
purification  but  boys  secured  guardians  much  more  frequently  than  girls. 
However  if  there  were  no  boys  in  the  family  a  girl  could  act  as  substitute. 
Julia's  mother's  father  had  three  daughters  but  no  son.  The  oldest  girl 
secured  a  guardian  which  gave  her  sufficient  power  to  help  her  father 
when  he  made  magic.  She  could,  for  instance,  take  hot  stones  out  of  the 
fire  with  her  hands  without  getting  burnt. 

Purification  is  carried  on  by  means  of  sweating  and  bathing.  The  tale 
Turtle's  War  Party  suggests  that  people  sweated  every  day,  for  the 
people  of  the  village  passed  the  Chief's  house  on  the  way  to  the  sweat- 
house  (37).  Otter's  sister,  Mink,  took  a  regular  bath  (30).  She  made  a 
hole  near  the  shore  just  large  enough  to  sit  in;  the  water  flowed  into  it. 
Then  she  put  hot  stones  in  to  heat  it  and  was  just  about  to  go  in  when 
she  was  shot.  According  to  informants  it  was  customary  for  every  one 
to  take  baths  like  this.  The  Coeur  d'Alene  say  the  Nez  Perce  who  are 
considered  "very  dirty"  still  bathe  this  way.  While  a  Nez  Perce  Indian 
is  in  the  bath  he  puts  a  long  feather  down  his  throat  to  induce  vomiting. 
This  is  to  clean  out  the  heart.1 

Teit  describes  the  Coeur  d'Alene  sweathouse  as  small,  domelike  and 
typical  of  the  Plateau  area  (ARBAE  45:62).  A  description  in  Coeur 
d'Alene  style  makes  the  picture  of  the  sweathouse  very  vivid.  The  mother 
of  the  kidnapped  boy  hid  herself  near  the  sweathouse  where  Meadow- 
lark  had  told  her  the  son  would  sweat.  "She  saw  her  son,  who  was  now 
a  man,  make  a  fire.  It  got  redhot.  He  put  rocks  in  it.  Then  he  went  in 
feet  first"  (24).  The  fire  was  made  in  a  hole  at  the  side  of  the  sweat- 
house. A  long  time  ago  the  people  used  a  cave  for  a  sweathouse  but  one 
time  a  number  of  them  in  it  were  scalded  to  death.  Since  then  they  have 
used  the  one  made  of  a  bent  willow  frame  covered  with  bark,  mats 
or  skins. 

A  few  cures  are  vaguely  mentioned.  Muskrat's  grandmother  sprinkled 
his  head  with  water  and  bound  it  up  after  it  had  been  bruised  and 
flattened  by  Otter.  She  also  pretended  to  be  curing  it  the  same  way 
when  Otter  arrived  at  her  home  to  avenge  his  sister's  death  (30). 
Coyote  chewed  willow  and  stuffed  it  in  the  hole  in  his  leg  (6).  He  was 
given  fat  as  a  cure  for  blindness  (7).  With  the  exception  of  the  first 
there  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  these  medicines  were  actually  used. 

1The  Coeur  d'Alene  believe  the  heart  (stomach)  is  the  seat  of  thought  and 
right-doing. 


Cultural  Reflections  in  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  49 

Much  of  a  tribe's  ethical  code  is  embodied  in  its  myths,  but  it  is  rarely 
practicable  to  interpret  ethical  or  moral  manifestations  from  the  myths 
alone,  for  we  are  far  too  likely  to  project  our  own  evaluations  into 
those  of  another  society.  I  do  not  know,  for  instance,  why  Lynx  (9a,  b) 
should  have  been  so  severely  punished  as  he  was.  We  should  say  off- 
hand that  he  was  punished  because  he  was  the  father  of  the  chief's 
illegitimate  grandchild.  But  when  we  know  that  the  stigma  attaching  to 
illegitimacy  is  felt  less  keenly  by  the  Indians  than  by  us,  it  is  necessary 
to  reinterpret  this  incident.  My  guess  is  that  the  episode,  being  a 
European  one,  was  made  over  into  a  Coeur  d'Alene  story  with  little 
regard  for  the  original  theme.  The  motivation  here  is  desertion,  there 
must  be  some  reason  for  it,  so  the  blame  is  at  first  put  on  Lynx.  The 
punishment  is  then  stylistic  rather  than  moralistic  as  is  evidenced  by  the 
poetic  justice  meted  out  at  the  end  of  the  tale. 

Another  example  illustrates  the  reverse  case.  The  chief's  daughters 
stole  dentalia,  treasures  he  was  hoarding  for  the  use  of  his  people. 
Again  desertion  is  a  motivating  force  but  this  time  it  is  induced  by  a 
strong  moral  obligation.  The  chief,  much  as  it  grieves  him,  must  exact 
of  his  own  daughters  that  punishment  which  he  would  decree  for  any 
of  his  tribesmen  had  they  erred  in  the  same  way.  His  obligation  to  his 
fellows  far  outweighs  his  own  feelings  in  the  matter.  "My  own  children 
have  stolen  the  bones.  That  is  what  grieves  me  so.  It  wasn't  your  chil- 
dren but  mine"  (24). 

Two  practices  in  our  own  society  practically  disqualify  us  from 
understanding  the  chief's  attitude  and  solution  of  his  problem,  our 
emphasis  on  material  gain  and  the  tendency  of  parents  to  defend  their 
children  even  when  they  commit  crime.  A  modern  American  in  the  posi- 
tion of  this  mythological  chief  would  be  much  more  likely,  I  think,  to 
transform  more  bones  into  dentalia  to  pay  for  covering  up  his  daugh- 
ters' crime. 

These  examples  serve  to  point  out  how  cautious  one  must  be  in 
evaluating  such  moral  ideals.  There  are  however  numerous  cases  where 
a  detailed  knowledge  of  the  culture  and  people  together  with  the  evidence 
of  the  myths  shed  much  light  on  their  ideals  and  practices. 

One  of  the  most  universal  traits  of  man  is  his  inconsistency.  The  Coeur 
d'Alene  are  no  exception.  They  are  not  only  cruel  but  they  are  proud  of 
it  and,  on  the  other  hand  they  are  compassionate.  There  is  marked  scorn 
for  certain  types  of  behavior  exemplified  by  Coyote — his  greediness, 
trickery,  cruelty,  lack  of  originality.  Treason  is  condemned.  The  traitor 
Coyote  who  abetted  the  man-eating  Grizzly  (6)  and  the  Meadowlark 
who  took  up  with  the  Wolves  ( 10)  are  held  in  the  greatest  contempt.  In 
this  connection  I  might  add  that  many  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  regard  their 


50  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

interpreters  and  policemen  as  stool  pigeons.  Their  attitude  is  in  many 
cases  unfair  for,  if  the  interpreter  has  the  welfare  of  his  tribesmen  at 
heart,  he  conscientiously  translates  their  thought.  However  since  almost 
all  decisions  are  against  the  Indian,  his  tribesmen  conclude,  though  in 
some  cases  unfairly,  that  the  fault  lies  at  the  door  of  the  officials,  so 
they  are  considered  "traitor  coyotes." 

The  episode  of  the  "Deformed  Transformed"  has  in  most  cases  a 
moralistic  element  which  might  be  formulated  thus :  The  old  or  ugly 
may  have  great  power.  They  may  choose  sometime  to  exert  that  power 
and  when  they  do,  woe  to  the  one  who  has  offended  them  (11).  It  is 
impossible  to  judge  whether  this  idea,  an  intrinsic  part  of  the  plot,  has 
been  adopted  along  with  it  or  whether  it  is  an  old  attitude.  It  is  quite 
likely  that  the  latter  is  the  case  so  that  no  alteration  was  necessary  when 
the  plot  was  adopted.  Certainly  it  fits  in  well  with  practice.  Old,  decrepit 
or  abnormal  people  may  be  teased  occasionally  but  they  are  not  mis- 
treated as  were  the  dogs  of  tale  11.  They  may  be  neglected  by  the 
younger  members  of  the  tribe  but  a  negligent  grandson  is  shamed  or 
reprimanded  by  his  elders.  A  boy  may  leave  his  helpless  grandmother 
for  several  days  at  a  time  or  longer  but  he  does  not  refuse  to  help  her 
when  he  is  at  home,  nor  does  a  "decent"  Coeur  d'Alene  intentionally 
ignore  distress  in  his  immediate  surroundings.  Neglect  of  the  old  and 
helpless  is  naturally  more  prevalent  in  these  days  when  the  attention  of 
the  young  is  so  easily  diverted  and  when  all  tribal  control  has  broken 
down,  but  it  is  never  condoned. 

The  teachings  imply  that  laziness  is  almost  a  crime.  Girls  past  ten 
who  leave  the  village  to  play  with  the  smaller  children  (31)  or  to  play 
in  the  wood  (24)  are  punished  by  desertion.  At  first  glance  it  seemed 
to  me  quite  commendable  that  the  girl  of  tale  31  took  care  of  the  little 
children  and  kept  them  out  of  the  way  of  the  villagers.  The  Coeur 
d'Alene  do  not  see  this  point  but  feel  only  that  the  girl  failed  in  not 
taking  on  her  share  of  work.  The  Dentalium  Girls  added  to  shirking 
responsibility  the  offenses  of  deceit  and  lying  (24).  History  records 
the  feeling  against  deceit  and  lying  in  the  musings  of  the  Boy  of  My 
Story  (42),  "When  my  father  calls  I  won't  go  (to  the  one-night  camp). 
If  I  do  I'll  only  pretend.  I  will  really  go  to  my  father's  brother  because 
he  lives  near  where  my  father  told  me  to  go.  Yet  if  my  father  finds  out 
I  have  deceived  him  he  will  kill  me.  But  then  if  I  crouch  nearby  I'll 
become  a  stone,  for  my  father  says  children  who  are  stubborn  and  dis- 
obedient turn  into  stones." 

The  above  quotation  says  much  about  the  respect  children  had  for 
their  elders  and  there  is  also  a  nice  balance  in  the  feeling  that  parents 
should  not  be  unreasonable  with  their  children.  When  the  boy  refused  to 


Cultural  Reflections  in  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  51 

go  his  father  was  disappointed  and  disgruntled  and  put  him  down  as 
disobedient.  He  felt  perhaps  that  he  wanted  him  out  of  his  sight  and 
sent  him  for  water.  The  boy  went  at  once,  whereupon  the  grandfather 
pointed  out  to  the  father  that  the  boy  was  not  habitually  disobedient 
nor  did  he  refuse  to  go  for  water,  but  was  even  willing.  Perhaps  he  had 
a  good  reason  to  delay  his  one-night  vigil.  Another  angle  is  shown  a 
little  later  in  the  narrative  when  the  father  asks  the  boy  why  he  did  not 
give  the  reason  for  his  refusal  to  obey  and  he  answers,  "You  would 
not  have  believed  me." 

Parents  should  be  strict  with  their  children  in  order  to  make  them 
"decent"  people  but,  as  soon  as  they  become  unreasonable,  sympathy 
is  immediately  transferred  to  the  children.  Another  example  of  this 
attitude  is  that  of  the  boy  who  took  a  piece  of  the  good  meat  without 
his  parents'  permission.  The  Coeur  d'Alene  do  not  approve  of  "thinking 
more  of  food  than  of  your  children"  (46). 

Opposed  to  the  attitude  of  obedience  are  examples  of  disrespect  with 
even  a  threat  of  violence.  Child  of  the  Root  gained  his  point  by  threaten- 
ing to  kill  his  grandmother  and  came  temporarily  to  grief  (1)  ; 
Catbird  upon  every  occasion  disregarded  his  grandmother's  advice  and 
won  his  point  but,  when  he  failed  to  heed  his  grandfather,  he  got  into 
serious  trouble  (22;  cp.  27).  In  all  of  these  cases  the  children  had  super- 
natural power,  while  the  parents  disobeyed  with  impunity  were  only  ordi- 
nary people.  As  soon  as  the  elders  secured  greater  control  over  the 
abnormal  the  children  failed.  Here  there  is  rather  a  reflection  of  the 
attitude  toward  supernatural  influence  than  toward  filial  piety.  Catbird's 
grandmother  was  a  symbol  of  reaction  who  considered  everything  in 
the  least  unusual  impossible  of  accomplishment.  This  may  well  go  into 
the  category  of  parental  unreasonableness. 

Ordinary  disobedience  to  those  in  authority  had  its  penalty  as  is  shown 
by  those  who  disobeyed  orders  (8,  9).  The  high  ideal  of  chieftainship 
is  exemplified  by  the  father  of  the  Dentalia  Girls  (24),  the  father-in- 
law  of  Lynx  (9a,  b),  and  Chief  Waxane'  (41).  A  chief  felt  obliged  to 
submerge  his  own  individuality  and  emotions  in  the  good  of  his 
villagers. 

Conservation  was  a  policy  carefully  practiced  for  the  good  of  the 
community  in  myth  if  not  in  actual  life.  The  most  important  hunting 
rule  was,  "Take  one  just  big  enough,  not  too  large  or  too  small.  Then 
use  it  all"  (1).  And  of  deer,  "Never  shoot  more  than  two  apiece" 
(13,23). 

Much  stress  is  laid  upon  the  dispensation  of  food.  A  stingy  person 
was  despised.  It  was  proper  to  have  enough  food  for  the  guests  to  eat 
to  repletion  and  to  take  some  home,  perhaps  enough  for  their  families 


52  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

(8,  9).  Chiefs  were  expected  to  share  food  with  the  whole  village.  A  bad 
breach  of  morals  and  manners  was  Woodtick's.  When  Coyote  had  come 
to  her  house,  hungry  as  usual,  she  set  places  for  two  but,  since  she  did 
not  say,  "Come  eat,"  he  sat  and  watched  her  eat  and  clear  the  things 
away.  She  showed  her  willingness  to  share  the  food — a  moral  obligation 
— but  she  did  not  add  the  verbal  invitation — a  matter  of  etiquette.  The 
fact  that  it  was  observed  by  Coyote  who  more  commonly  disregards  all 
forms  of  decency  makes  Woodtick's  lapse  the  more  pointed  (16). 

Reciprocity  is  strongly  emphasized.  It  crops  up  most  often  with  regard 
to  food.  Magpie  and  Rabbit  were  rewarded  with  plenty  for  themselves 
and  their  families  because  they  brought  their  blankets  to  Lynx's  baby 
(9a)  or,  because  they  stamped  lightly  on  Lynx  (9b).  Coyote  may  be 
expected  to  return  evil  for  good,  ingratitude  for  help,  but  there  are 
occasions  when  even  he  is  helpful.  He  fed  Little  Beaver  through  his 
training  period,  no  light  task,  and  Little  Beaver  in  turn  avenged  the 
murder  of  Coyote's  children  (5).  Rabbit  and  Jack  Rabbit  lived  in  a 
state  of  mutual  friendship,  each  was  so  concerned  about  the  other  that  he 
constantly  had  new  ideas  of  helpfulness,  even  if  they  proved  superfluous 
(35). 

Just  as  the  Coeur  d'Alene  take  pride  in  certain  types  of  cruelty  so 
they  admire  bravery.  Clean  Face  came  down  in  history  as  a  hero,  for 
single-handed  he  defended  himself  against  the  enemy  (42).  The  intrepid- 
ity of  Reserved  and  Quiet  is  extolled  (10).  Reticent  was  afraid  but 
Quiet  kept  his  head  and  saved  the  situation.  There  is  a  tinge  of  scorn 
in  the  remarks  about  Reticent.  Courage  was  not  a  characteristic  of  men 
alone.  In  describing  the  dauntlessness  of  women  frequently  exposed  to 
danger  narratives  express  also  great  admiration  for  their  cleverness  in 
solving  problems.  A  woman,  seeing  a  chance  to  escape  from  her  captor 
when  his  saddle  cinch  becomes  loose,  takes  it  (44).  Much  pleasure  is 
taken  in  the  account  of  the  two  old  women  who  while  camping  saved 
themselves  from  the  enemy  by  throwing  a  pot  of  boiling  mush  into 
his  face  (43).  A  number  of  elements  in  this  narrative  make  for  enjoy- 
ment, the  cleverness  of  the  ruse,  the  fearlessness  of  the  women  in 
carrying  it  out,  the  humor  of  the  situation — the  enemy  surprised  and 
spitting  hot  mush  and,  not  the  least,  I  suspect,  the  suffering. 

Since  Coyote  is  the  chief  protagonist  of  the  tales  it  is  not  to  be  expected 
that  modesty  would  be  outstanding  for  he  was  never  modest — if  upon 
occasion  he  was,  it  was  a  matter  for  suspicion.  Nevertheless  modesty 
was  an  ideal.  A  girl  would  look  up  when  a  stranger  entered,  then  down 
at  her  work  at  once.  Thus  Woodtick  behaved  when  Coyote  entered  her 
house  (16).  This  might  be  a  misinterpretation  in  that  Woodtick  did  not 
notice   Coyote   because   she  was   offended.    She  was   however   always 


Cultural  Reflections  in  Coeur  d'Alene  Mythology  53 

intimidated  by  the  fact  that  she  had  no  neck.  Bullfrog  is  the  most  modest 
character.  She  is  ugly.  She  was  reminded  daily  lest  she  forget  it.  She 
accepted  her  position  as  the  ugly  one  and,  instead  of  becoming  arrogant 
and  aggressive,  effaced  herself  to  the  extent  of  offering  herself  as  a 
sacrifice  to  the  beautiful  and  young  (31).  Examples  of  exaggerated 
modesty  are  Lynx  (9a,  b),  Crane  (8)  and,  above  all,  Chief  Child  of 
the  Root  (1).  In  these  characters  are  blended  bravery,  power  and  suc- 
cess with  moderation,  humility  and  generosity,  a  combination  greatly 
esteemed. 

A  study  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  linguistic  categories,  some  of  which 
have  been  elsewhere  discussed  (American  Speech  18  [1943]  :  96-102; 
Handbook  of  American  Indian  Languages  Vol.  3)  gives  further  insight 
into  psychological  notions.  A  verb-stem  neatly  sums  up  an  ideal  con- 
stantly held  in  mind.  Children  should  be  brought  up  to  be  "decent."  All 
of  the  qualities  previously  mentioned  as  laudable  should  be  encouraged. 
Coercion  may  even  be  used.  The  moral  code  which  posits  the  type  of 
behavior  for  "my  folk"  and  "alien  folk"  is  thoroughly  understood  and 
insofar  as  possible  followed.  The  individuals  who  get  away  from  their 
training  for  some  time  become  "indecent,  not  like  a  person,  untrained, 
unrefined,  uncivilized."  Then  they  are  not  "real  people"  and  are  looked 
down  upon  just  as  we  scorn  those  who  are  dirty  or  unsanitary.  Thus 
myth  relates  and  explains  some  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  ideals  of  superiority 
and  inferiority  which  are  chiefly  a  matter  of  cultivation. 

The  available  body  of  Coeur  d'Alene  mythology,  though  small,  serves 
to  acquaint  us  with  thoroughly  realized  literary  devices  and  with  cul- 
tural values  of  a  kind  not  ordinarily  ascertained  by  the  usual  ethnological 
techniques.  Although  one  must  always  consider  myth  clues  suggestive 
rather  than  conclusive  there  is  ample  evidence  that  they  define  attitudes 
toward  the  culture  and  ideals  which  delineate  the  more  subtle  and  deeply 
rooted  ethics  of  human  behavior. 


CHAPTER  IV 
Diffusion  and  Mythological  Processes 

Just  as  this  small  body  of  texts  illustrates  the  possibility  of  determin- 
ing literary  style  and  contributes  illuminating  features  of  culture,  espe- 
cially of  psychological  understanding,  so  the  distribution  of  whole  tales, 
episodes  and  elements  illustrates  myth  processes.  Miss  Froelich  had  all 
of  these  things  in  mind  when  she  made  her  comparison  which  she  did 
not  restrict  to  plot  and  catchword  titles  alone.  A  perusal  of  her  com- 
parisons brings  out  quite  clearly  whether  we  have  the  same  story  or 
whether  only  episodes  or  even  psychological  themes  are  repeated.  She 
has  also  been  aware  of  stylistic  problems  and  has  included  insofar  as 
possible  suggestive  remarks  on  these  subjects. 

It  is  possible  therefore  to  determine  quite  readily  the  distribution  and 
distinction  of  certain  plots  or  episodes  as  well  as  to  see  the  relationship 
of  mythical  notions  and  historical  happenings.  Myths  which  may,  with 
only  few  qualifications,  be  considered  "typically  northwestern"  are: 
Chief  Child  of  the  Root  (1)  ;  Origin  of  Indian  Tribes  through  trans- 
formation of  the  parts  of  a  gobbling  monster  (2)  ;  Coyote  Steals  his 
Daughter-in-law  (4)  ;  Story  of  Lynx  (9)  ;  War  between  Land  and 
Water  People,  a  tale  which  gives  some  insight  into  Plateau  ideas  of 
water  spirits  or  monsters  (10)  ;  Catbird  (22)  ;  parts  of  the  myth  of 
Water  Monster  Woman,  another  related  to  under-water  spirits  (27)  ; 
Little  Mosquito  (28)  ;  and  possibly,  Coyote  Marries  the  Sister  of 
Geese  (13). 

Having  a  much  wider  distribution,  in  this  study  only  sketchily  indi- 
cated, are  the  themes:  Eye  Juggling  (7)  ;  Bungling  Host  (14)  ;  Calling 
the  Deer  (16)  ;  Rolling  Rock  (Skull)  (19)  ;  Snaring  the  Wind  (21)  ; 
Substitute  Bridegroom  (mate)  (23)  ;  Contest  between  Cold  and  Heat 
(34)  ;  Dog  Goes  for  (procures)  Fire  (36)  ;  and  Mock  Plea  (37). 

The  Coeur  d'Alene  use  of  these  themes  is  sometimes  distinguished  by 
the  combination  of  the  themes,  at  others  by  the  interpolation  of  a  char- 
acteristic episode,  introduction  or  motivation.  The  Dog  Husband  theme 
which  has  a  wide  distribution  is  uniquely  introduced  by  the  special 
treatment  of  the  Deformed  Transformed  theme  and  the  jealousy  of  the 
sister.  The  good-humored  playfulness  of  the  Dogs,  the  behavior  of  the 
human  girl  child  to  her  dog  brother,  the  emphasis  on  loneliness  as  an 
excuse  for  abuse  and  the  mother's  intervention  (11)  also  take  the  tale 

54 


Diffusion  and  Mythological  Processes  55 

out  of  the  class  of  the  type  Dog  Husband  myth.  The  myth  of  Coyote 
disobeying  the  Geese  or  other  birds  with  great  flying  power  has  a  rela- 
tively wide  distribution  but  the  introduction  in  which  Pine  Squirrel  pro- 
vides him  with  teeth  is  somewhat  unusual  (13). 

The  myth  of  the  Girls  Who  Stole  Dentalia  from  their  father,  the 
chief,  is  fashioned  upon  the  pattern  of  the  Lynx  story,  disgrace  and 
desertion  by  the  tribe  and  similar  motivations  are  found  in  comparable 
tales.  The  kidnapping  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  tale  which  is  carefully  de- 
veloped sets  it  off  from  the  others  and  makes  it  a  gripping  plot  well  sus- 
tained until  the  very  end  when  it  falls  flat  (24). 

The  following  are  distinctive  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene :  Little  Beaver  (5) 
which  has  only  one  parallel,  among  the  Okanagan;  Coyote  Hunts  with 
Crane,  whose  introduction  which  might  well  be  a  separate  tale  is  unique, 
but  which  ends  with  the  Salmon  Release,  a  theme  of  wide  distribution 
(8)  ;  Coyote  and  Fox  Gamble  with  the  Fish  (12)  ;  Coyote  and  Badger 
(15)  which  has  only  one  analogue  (among  the  Columbia  River  Indians)  ; 
Calling  One's  Kind  (17)  ;  Coyote  Kills  Cricket  with  Elk  Fat  (Mistaken 
Kindness)  (18) ;  Cricket  Rides  Coyote  (20) ;  Thunder  (25)  ;  features 
of  Waterbird  Contests  for  Woman  which  distinguish  the  treatment  of 
the  more  usual  Gift  Test  theme  (26)  ;  Grizzly  and  his  Brothers-in-law 
(29)  ;  Muskrat  Trespasses  (has  two  comparable  analogues  [Shuswap 
and  Coast  Salish]  but  the  details  are  not  very  close)  (30)  ;  Toad  Saves 
Children  (31);  Elk  and  Snowshoes  (33);  Rabbit  and  Jack  Rabbit 
(with  one  almost  identical  parallel  among  the  Nez  Perce)  (35)  ;  and 
parts  of  Turtle's  War  Party  (37),  said  to  be  historical. 

It  is  quite  possible  that  some  parallels  may  be  found  for  some  of 
these  or  parts  of  them  in  Plains  mythology  to  the  east  and  south,  but  it 
seems  reasonably  safe  to  consider  these  as  Coeur  d'Alene  contributions, 
if  not  entirely,  at  least  in  the  distinctive  modes  of  treatment. 

In  most  comparative  studies  more  attention  is  given  to  myths  than  to 
tales  and  historical  narratives.  This  is  of  course  justifiable  since  they 
are  proportionately  much  more  numerous.  In  considering  such  tales 
from  this  collection  several  illuminating  points  emerge:  1.  There  is  a 
gradual  transition  between  pure  myth  and  history.  2.  Themes  which 
were  either  derived  from  actual  happenings  become  myths  or  the  re- 
verse. 3.  Mythical  incidents  may  be  identified  with  known  human  be- 
ings so  thoroughly  that  they  cease  to  be  mythical.  Turtle's  War  Party 
(37)  is  an  example  which  possibly  illustrates  any  of  these  possibilities. 
The  characters  have  mythical  names  and  the  Mock  Plea  incident  is  well 
known  and  widespread,  but  the  explanation  that  a  Nez  Perce  chief  was 
actually  killed  in  as  mysterious  a  manner  as  the  tale  relates  suggests 


56  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

some  authenticity.  It  is  also  possible  that  the  tale  is  symbolical  or  alle- 
gorical in  the  same  sense  as  the  myth  of  Little  Beaver. 

Dorothy's  remarks  and  beliefs  about  the  two-headed  snakes  (38) 
show  the  impossibility  of  thoroughly  disentangling  actuality  and  myth. 
In  every  Indian  tribe  with  which  I  have  worked  there  is  a  conviction  that 
two-headed  snakes  actually  existed  or  even  exist  now.  I  always  ask  if 
the  informant  has  seen  one  and  never  have  I  found  the  evidence  closer 
than  once  removed.  Dorothy's  father  saw  these  snakes,  the  most  elaborate 
I  have  ever  heard  described.  In  other  cases  it  was  an  uncle  or  a  cousin, 
the  informant  having  arrived  just  too  late  to  have  seen  them  himself. 

The  narrative  of  The  Dwarf  (39)  was  told  me  after  I  asked  if  there 
was  any  such  thing  as  a  dwarf,  since  none  of  the  tales  included  any 
such  references.  It  was  told  as  an  actual  happening,  all  proof  being  in- 
herent in  the  tale.  Tales  41,  44,  46  and  47  may  appear  quite  "obviously" 
true  if  the  comparison  did  not  show  that  41,  46  and  47  were  quite  inti- 
mately connected  with  mythical  elements,  the  parallels  of  which  point 
to  the  Northwest  Coast.  As  the  Coeur  d'Alene  treat  them  they  are  very 
convincing,  since  they  contain  nothing  mystical  or  imaginative,  but  the 
other  comparable  tales  seem  more  mythical  than  real.  One  reason  for 
this  of  course  is  the  fact  that  Indians  describe  and  motivate  their  char- 
acters in  a  realistic  way,  connecting  them  and  their  behavior  so  closely 
with  the  supernatural  and  mystical  that  one  often  forgets  that  the  real 
and  the  imagined  are  not  the  same.  It  is  reasonable  to  assume  that  such 
elements  originated  in  historical  occurrences  but  there  is  at  present  no 
way  to  prove  that  they  were  not  lifted  from  myth  and  made  real. 


CHAPTER  V 
The  Myths  and  Tales 

a.  1.  chief  child  of  the  root  (transformer) 

Child  of  the  Root's  grandmother  reveals  to  him  his  origin 

Child  of  the  Root  leaves  home 

Chief  Child  of  the  Root: 

Transforms  Pestle  Boy  into  pestle 

Instructs  Foolhen  to  eat  moss  raw  instead  of  falling  into  fire  to  cook  it 

Kills  and  revives  Fisher  to  overcome  his  foolishness 

Burns  awls,  combs,  bladders  and  lassos  to  make  them  useful  to  man 

Transforms  nails  and  bill  of  Kingfisher  and  Fishhawk  to  enable  them  to  catch 

fish,  enjoins  them  to  eat  fish  raw 
Instructs  Splinter  Leg  to  enable  him  to  make  spearhead  of  elkhorn  instead  of 
his  own  leg  bone 

Toad  causes  flood  so  that  Chief  Child  of  the  Root  will  visit  her 

Toad  jumps  on  Chief's  forehead 

People  reject  Coyote  and  Robin  as  sun  and  moon 

People  accept  Chief  Child  of  the  Root  as  sun,  Helldiver's  child  as  moon 

An  old  woman  lived  with  her  daughter  who  had  a  baby.  Every  day  the 
daughter  went  out  to  gather  the  root  of  the  plant  called  sp'a'xwantc 
(probably  hogfennel).  Every  day  she  came  back  with  a  great  many  of 
the  roots.  She  baked  them  and  the  family  ate  them.  The  boy  grew.  The 
mother  always  went  out  alone  to  gather  roots,  leaving  the  boy  with  his 
grandmother.  One  day  when  he  was  quite  large  he  asked,  "Where  is 
my  father?"  "You  are  pitiable.  You  have  no  father."  "Why  have  I 
no  father?"  he  asked.  "He  has  been  dead  a  long  time."  "What  was  his 
name?"  "He  had  none." 

Then  the  boy  took  a  stick  and  threatened,  "If  you  don't  tell  me  who 
my  father  was  I  will  kill  you."  "You  are  Child  of  the  Root,"  confessed 
the  grandmother. 

The  boy  was  sad.  He  lay  down  and  covered  himself  with  his  blanket. 
All  day  he  lay  like  that.  In  the  evening  when  his  mother  came  back  and 
saw  him  lying  as  he  was  she  thought,  "I  suppose  his  grandmother  has 
been  telling  him  tales."  She  said  nothing  but  made  signs  that  she  was 
going  to  club  her  mother.  After  she  had  cooked  the  roots,  she  said, 
"Come,  we  are  going  to  eat !"  The  boy  paid  no  attention.  She  and  her 
mother  ate  but  the  boy  would  not  join  them.  The  next  day  the  same 
thing  was  repeated.  He  refused  to  eat.  The  mother  went  out  to  gather 

57 


58  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

more  roots.  After  she  was  gone  the  boy  got  up  and  said  to  his  grand- 
mother, "I  am  leaving  you  for  good." 

He  went  out.  He  went  to  the  edge  of  the  water  and  sat  down.  He  sang, 
"ahoiye  xiyd,  Chief  Child  of  the  Root  xeya,  xeya."  He  washed  his  face, 
his  head  and  his  entire  body.  He  reached  into  the  water  and  took  out  the 
throat  of  a  monster  fish.  He  made  a  canoe  of  it,  got  into  it  and  rowed 
away  singing  his  song.  He  heard  someone  who  said,  "Chief  Child  of 
the  Root,  give  me  a  ride.  We'll  see  the  whole  world  even  to  where  the 
river  enters  the  sea."  "All  right,  I'll  give  you  a  ride." 

Then  the  passenger,  who  was  Pestle  Boy,  jumped  up  and  down  in 
the  boat.  "You  might  break  my  canoe.  Here  I'll  fix  a  paddle  for  you  to 
sit  on."  He  fixed  it  but  Pestle  Boy  continued  to  jump  up  and  down  until 
Child  of  the  Root  dumped  him  into  the  water.  "You  will  no  longer  eat 
people.  They  will  use  you  for  a  pestle,"  he  decreed. 

The  Chief  went  on  singing.  Suddenly  he  saw  a  tree  burning.  Someone 
fell  off  it  into  the  fire.  He  thought,  "That  person  will  die."  He  hurried 
ashore  and  looked.  He  found  Foolhen  feeling  her  eyebrows.  They  were 
all  red  and  blistered  from  the  fire.  Chief  Child  of  the  Root  said  to  her, 
"What's  the  matter?"  "Hu  uh-um,  Chief  .  .  ."  (She  did  not  say  "Chief 
Child  of  the  Root,"  but  only  "Chief."1)  "I  was  gathering  black  moss." 
He  said,  "Don't  do  that  any  more.  You  might  die.  If  you  get  hungry  for 
it  again,  fly  up  to  a  tree  and  eat  it  raw  right  off  the  tree.  Eat  it  all  up, 
as  much  as  you  want.  Don't  have  a  house  anymore  and  don't  try  to 
cook  it!"  "Thank  you,  Chief  !" 

Before  this  she  had  gathered  the  moss  and  put  it  under  her  wing. 
Then  she  set  the  tree  afire  and  cooked  the  moss  by  falling  into  the  fire 
herself. 

He  went  off  again.  Suddenly  a  rabbit  jumped  into  the  water.  Chief 
Child  of  the  Root  clubbed  it  and  put  it  into  his  canoe.  He  went  on.  He 
heard,  "Ulu'lu'lu,"  the  sound  of  tramping.  He  saw  Fisher.  "Chief  Child 
of  the  Root,  give  me  my  game,"  he  demanded.  "No,  I  didn't  see  it!" 
Fisher  jumped  into  the  water.  "If  you  don't  show  me  where  it  is  I'll 
slap  you  with  my  tail."  "Go  ahead,  slap  me  with  your  tail!"  Fisher 
jumped  about  in  the  water  and  swam  until  he  got  close  to  the  chief. 
Then  he  turned  around  and  slapped  the  water  with  his  tail.  He  got  the 
chief  all  wet.  The  chief  hit  him.  He  died.  He  put  him  into  the  canoe 
with  the  rabbit  and  paddled  on. 

The  chief  came  to  a  place  where  there  were  many  children.  He  went 
ashore.  When  the  children  saw  him  they  ran  into  the  house.  Their  mother 
asked,  "What  is  the  matter?"  They  did  not  answer.  Chief  Child  of  the 

1  Those  who  were  kind  called  the  hero  "Chief"  and  he  helped  them,  those  who 
called  him  "Chief  Child  of  the  Root"  insulted  him  and  were  overcome. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  59 

Root  came  in.  The  mother  looked  at  him  and  said,  "Hum,  hum,  Chief, 
you  honor  our  humble  home."  He  sat  down.  "We  are  pitiable,"  she 
added.  "We  have  nothing  to  offer  you  to  eat."  "No,  I  am  not  hungry," 
he  said.  Soon  she  told  the  children  to  look  for  their  father.  They  looked 
for  him  but  soon  came  back  and  reported,  "Our  father  is  gone."  "I 
guess  he  is  hunting.  He'll  be  back.  Maybe  he  has  killed  something.  Then 
we  can  eat." 

The  chief  looked  around.  He  saw  a  lot  of  rabbit  skins.  He  thought, 
"They  must  like  rabbits."  He  told  the  children  to  get  the  one  from  his 
canoe.  They  went  to  the  canoe  and  saw  their  father  lying  dead  in  it. 
They  cried,  "It's  our  father  lying  dead  there  in  the  canoe !"  The  mother 
said,  "I  suppose  he  was  doing  something  foolish  again."  When  the  chief 
found  it  was  their  father  he  had  killed,  he  said,  "Go  get  him.  He  will 
come  back  to  life  again."  The  children  brought  him  up  and  laid  him 
down.  The  chief  stepped  over  him.  Fisher  got  up.  "Oh  Chief,  you  find 
us  humble,"  these  were  the  first  words  he  uttered. 

The  chief  went  on.  He  saw  a  house  with  smoke  coming  out.  He 
thought,  "That's  where  I'll  eat."  He  went  ashore.  There  was  a  good  fire 
burning  in  the  house  but  the  people  seemed  to  be  gone.  He  saw  little 
awls  hanging  all  over  the  walls.  In  the  middle  was  a  large  one,  nicely 
beaded.  He  went  over  and  took  it  down.  As  he  was  going  out  with  it 
all  the  awls  cried  out,  "He  is  taking  our  chief,"  and  came  down  from 
the  wall  and  pierced  him  all  over  his  body.  "Don't  do  that !  I  guess  it 
must  be  your  chief  I  took."  He  hung  up  the  ornamented  awl  and  went 
out.  He  set  the  house  afire.  As  he  went  off  he  heard  the  awls  crying, 
"Yar,  yar,  yar!"  He  said,  "Don't  be  man-eaters  anymore.  You'll  be 
used  for  making  moccasins." 

He  went  on.  Farther  on  he  saw  something  which  looked  like  a  house. 
He  went  in.  No  one  was  at  home  but  the  fire.  He  saw  combs  hanging 
all  over  the  walls.  A  large  one  decorated  with  beads  was  in  the  center. 
He  thought,  "I'll  comb  myself  with  that  nice  one."  As  he  went  out  with 
it  the  others  cried  out,  "Our  chief  is  being  taken  away,"  and  they  all 
came  at  him  and  combed  him.  "Oh !  It's  your  chief  ?  I'll  hang  him  back 
again."  He  hung  it  on  the  wall,  went  out  and  set  fire  to  the  house.  As 
he  went  on  he  heard  them  shrieking  (like  scared  chickens).  "Don't  be 
man-eaters !  You'll  be  used  to  comb  hair,"  he  commanded. 

He  went  on  and  saw  another  house.  Inside  there  was  a  fire  and  the 
walls  were  hung  with  bladders.  In  the  middle  of  a  wall  was  a  fine  large 
one.  "I'll  take  that  for  my  own  use,"  he  thought,  "I'll  keep  my  kinnikin- 
nick  in  it  or  I  can  use  it  for  my  powder."  He  took  it,  but  just  as  he  went 
out  he  heard  crying,  "He  took  our  chief  !"  He  felt  them  all  bumping  him 
and  some  blowing  him  in  the  face.  "Stop  that !  It's  your  chief.  I'll  put 


60  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

him  back,"  and  he  hung  it  up  again.  Then  he  went  out,  struck  a  light 
and  burned  the  house.  He  heard  bursting  of  many  tight  skins  as  he  went 
on.  "No  more  will  you  be  man-eaters.  Hereafter  you'll  be  used  for  stor- 
ing tobacco." 

At  another  house  the  walls  were  hung  with  lassos  with  a  large  fine 
one  in  the  center.  He  had  no  more  than  taken  it  down  when  the  rest  all 
cried  out,  "It's  our  chief !"  They  came  down  and  lassoed  him  and  he 
put  it  back.  He  destroyed  the  house  with  fire  saying,  "No  more  will  you 
be  man-killers.  You'll  have  to  make  your  living.  When  people  want 
food  they  will  use  you  to  trap  their  game." 

The  Chief  went  on.  He  saw  Kingfisher  sitting  on  a  tree.  As  he  was 
looking  Kingfisher  dived.  Soon  he  came  up  holding  his  hair  in  front  with 
both  hands.  He  ran  into  his  house  and  soon  came  back  with  a  bucket. 
He  filled  it,  ran  back  and  built  a  fire.  Child  of  the  Root  thought,  "I 
better  look  into  this." 

He  sneaked  up  and  peeped  in.  He  saw  Kingfisher  had  hold  of  his 
hair  and  was  washing  it  in  the  bucket.  He  was  wiping  his  hands  on  his 
hair  because  the  fish  smell  was  all  that  there  was  left  of  his  catch  and 
he  was  making  soup  of  it.  The  Chief  went  back  to  his  boat  and  returned 
as  if  he  had  seen  nothing.  "You  honor  a  humble  home,  Chief.  I  am  too 
poor  to  be  decent."  The  bucket  was  boiling.  In  it  was  what  Kingfisher 
had  washed  from  his  hair.  "I  am  poor,  I  have  no  food."  "I  am  not 
hungry."  "If  I  had  something  to  eat  you  could  eat  with  me."  The  kettle 
boiled,  it  got  white  on  top.  Kingfisher  set  it  down  and  said,  "Stay  and 
have  a  drink  of  soup."  The  Chief  took  a  cupful  and  drank.  He  had 
never  tasted  such  good  soup.  He  drank  it  all. 

"You  should  have  had  something  to  eat,"  said  Kingfisher.  "I  guess 
you  saw  me  when  I  dived  for  a  fish.  I  got  hold  of  him  but  he  slipped 
away  because  my  nails  are  too  short.  Why  is  it  they  are  so  close  to 
the  flesh?" 

The  Chief  took  Kingfisher's  hands,  put  something  like  a  cat's  claws 
on  them  and  they  became  long.  "You  can  do  anything  you  want  with 
them  now."  Then  he  opened  the  bird's  mouth,  took  a  knife  and  cut  his 
bill  in  several  places  so  it  was  like  a  file.  Then  he  said,  "Go  try  it.  Get 
a  fish." 

Kingfisher  went  out  to  his  tree  and  sat.  "Tsalalala,"  he  dived.  He  got 
his  fish,  bit  it  and  held  it  fast.  He  took  it  back  to  the  house.  "Thank  you, 
Chief,"  he  said.  He  got  a  bucketful  of  water  and  cooked  the  fish.  He  was 
very  grateful.  Then  the  Chief  said,  "Now  I  must  go."  "No  stay  and  eat." 

"I  drank  some  soup.  You  eat  what  you  have.  Eat  it  all.  Then  fly. 
Don't  live  in  a  house.  Go  sit  on  a  willow  and  watch  the  water.  Don't 
take  the  big  fish  or  the  small  ones,  but  the  ones  that  are  just  big  enough 


The  Myths  and  Tales  61 

for  a  meal.  Don't  cook  your  food  but  eat  it  raw."  "Thank  you,  Chief, 
thank  you." 

The  chief  went  on.  He  saw  someone  jump  into  the  water  and  come  up 
with  clasped  hands.  This  person  also  ran  into  the  house,  brought  out  a 
bucket,  filled  it  and  went  in  to  make  a  fire.  The  Chief  spied  on  him  and 
saw  him  wringing  the  ends  of  his  fingers  in  the  pail.  He  withdrew  and 
came  in  openly. 

"Oh  Chief,  you  find  me  humble,  I  am  poor."  When  the  kettle  boiled 
Fishhawk  gave  the  Chief  some  soup.  It  was  very  good.  Then  he  said, 
"If  it  weren't  for  my  fingernails  I  would  have  plenty  to  eat.  I  guess 
you  saw  how  I  tried  to  catch  a  fish."  "Let  me  see  your  hand."  The  Chief 
treated  the  nails  as  he  had  Kingfisher's  and  they  became  long.  Fishhawk 
tried  them  and  came  gleefully  back  with  a  stickful  of  fish.  "Thank  you, 
Chief.  Stay  and  eat  with  me,"  he  invited.  "No !  I  have  eaten.  You  eat 
it  by  yourself.  Then  fly.  Don't  have  a  house.  Don't  cook.  Eat  your  food 
raw.  Take  only  one  fish  and  eat  it  all."  "Thank  you,  Chief." 

The  Chief  paddled  on  to  where  the  brook  ran  into  a  river.  There  stood 
a  man  aiming  a  spear.  He  saw  that  one  of  the  man's  legs  was  extremely 
thin  and  wondered  why  it  was.  He  thought,  "I  ought  to  see  it  right."  He 
jumped  out  of  his  canoe  and  turned  himself  into  a  salmon.  He  swam 
up  to  Splinter  Leg.  When  he  speared  him  he  ran  off  so  the  spearhead 
broke  the  line.  Splinter  Leg  cried  "Oh !  It  hurts  after  all  my  suffering." 

The  Chief  got  into  his  canoe  and  speared  a  salmon  with  the  same 
spearhead.  Then  he  went  back.  Splinter  Leg  was  gone.  He  went  to  his 
house  and  peeped  in.  He  was  cutting  another  spearhead  out  of  his  own 
legbone  and  crying,  "anininin  ha  ha  ha."  The  Chief  drew  back,  then 
walked  in.  Splinter  Leg  covered  his  leg  with  his  blanket,  "Weak,  poor, 
and  pitiful  you  find  me,  Chief.  I  have  nothing  to  eat."  "I  am  not 
hungry."  "I  would  have  something  to  eat  for  just  as  you  came  in  sight 
I  speared  a  salmon,  but  my  line  broke  and  carried  off  my  spearhead." 

"I  saw  a  fine  big  salmon  lie  in  the  water  with  a  spearhead  in  it.  That 
must  have  been  yours.  Go  get  it  from  my  canoe." 

As  Splinter  Leg  got  up  he  quickly  drew  his  blanket  around  his  leg. 
He  brought  the  salmon  back,  cooked  it  and  served  it.  They  ate.  The 
Chief  kept  watching  the  other's  leg,  but  Splinter  Leg  took  care  not 
to  expose  it. 

"Let's  play  a  hoop  and  stick  game,  proposed  the  Chief.  "No,  I  don't 
know  how."  "All  right."  "Oh  well."  "What  will  we  bet?"  "Your 
blanket."  They  played.  Child  of  the  Root  won.  "Now  your  shirt."  Again 
he  won.  "Come  now  give  me  your  blanket." 

The  Chief  hit  Splinter  Leg  with  a  stick.  His  leg  broke.  The  Chief  took 
the  blanket.  "You've  made  me  more  pitiable,  Chief."  "Let  me  see  your 


62  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

leg."  He  looked  at  it.  "Why  did  you  do  that?"  "Because  of  my  spear- 
head. I  had  to  carve  it  of  bone."  He  did  nothing  but  cry,  "Now  you've 
made  me  much  worse."  "I  only  did  it  because  I  mean  to  fix  it." 

He  saw  that  the  one  leg  was  as  thin  as  could  be,  the  other  was  normal. 
He  rubbed  the  leg  and  smoothed  it  and  it  became  as  good  as  new.  Then 
he  took  the  blanket  and  handed  it  to  its  owner,  "Here  is  your  blanket." 

"Go  ahead,  take  it,"  and  Splinter  Leg  was  going  to  take  off  his  shirt. 
"No,  keep  them."  "Thank  you,  thank  you!"  The  Chief  went  out.  He 
came  in  with  something  in  his  hand.  It  was  elk  antler.  "After  this  make 
your  spearhead  of  this.  Don't  cut  yourself  for  it."  "Thank  you,  thank 
you !" 

Again  he  paddled  away.  After  going  a  long  way  he  saw  many  people. 
They  saw  him  too.  "He  is  coming,  Chief  Child  of  the  Root,"  they  cried. 

Two  of  them  came  to  meet  him.  They  carried  him  in  by  the  arms. 
The  chief  of  the  people  said,  "I  have  two  daughters,  they  are  yours." 

It  was  so  crowded  that  Toad  was  pushed  way  back  and  could  see 
nothing.  This  always  happened  to  Toad  because  she  was  so  ugly.  "I 
must  see  him  too,"  said  Toad  stretching  as  high  as  she  could.  "What's 
the  use  of  your  seeing  him,  an  ugly  thing  like  you?"  "It's  true  I  sup- 
pose," agreed  Toad  ruefully. 

She  then  went  out  for  water.  She  sprinkled  water  from  the  sky. 
She  went  into  her  house  and  sat  down  patiently  waiting.  It  rained,  it 
poured.  Everybody  went  home.  It  was  so  wet  in  the  houses  no  one  could 
lie  down.  Chief  Child  of  the  Root  tipped  his  canoe  over  to  lie  under  it. 
Soon  it  was  wet  there  too.  He  got  up.  He  saw  a  light  far  off.  He  went 
in  the  direction  of  the  light.  It  was  in  Toad's  house.  She  had  a  nice  fire 
and  everything  was  dry  and  comfortable. 

"You  are  dry,  my  grandmother.  Why  are  you  not  wet?"  "Ha  ha  ha," 
she  laughed,  "now  I  see  you  close  even  if  I  am  ugly."  "You  are  dry,  my 
grandmother."  "I'm  not  your  mother's  mother."  "What  are  you  then? 
My  father's  mother?"  "No."  "Are  you  my  younger  sister?"  "No." 
"Are  you  my  daughter?"  "No." 

He  got  up.  He  looked  back  as  he  was  going  out.  One  parting  question, 
"Are  you  my  wife  ?  What  are  you  to  me  ?" 

Toad  jumped  up  and  landed  above  the  Chief's  nose  right  between  his 
eyes.  He  tried  to  pull  her  off  but  the  skin  stretched.  He  said  to  the 
people,  "Come,  get  this  toad  off  me."  They  came  to  help  him.  They 
tried  to  cut  off  the  toad  with  a  knife,  but  to  no  avail. 

Coyote  cried.  "All  right,  let's  talk  this  over." 

They  came  together  for  a  council.  Coyote  addressed  the  meeting, 
"We  ought  to  have  a  sun.  At  night  we  ought  to  have  a  moon.  I'll  be  the 
moon  myself." 


The  Myths  and  Tales  63 

Robin  said,  "I'll  be  the  sun." 

At  night  whenever  anyone  did  anything  Coyote  announced  the  act 
to  all  the  people.  In  the  daytime  the  sun  came  up.  It  was  so  hot  the 
people  did  nothing  but  swim.  The  Chief  said,  '"It  is  too  hot.  It  isn't  right 
to  do  nothing  but  swim.  And  Coyote  is  too  utterly  no  good.  He  spies  on 
everything  we  do." 

They  pulled  Coyote  down  and  threw  him  away.  Robin  was  too  hot 
so  she  suffered  the  same  fate. 

Then  said  Chief  Child  of  the  Root,  "I  will  be  the  moon.  I'll  go  far 
off  so  you  can't  see  the  toad  on  my  face  very  well." 

Helldiver's  child  who  has  only  one  eye  said,  "I'll  be  a  good  sun  for 
you  because  I  can't  see  so  plain.  I  will  not  be  too  light  or  hot."1  "All 
right." 

So  the  road  ends. 

Stories  of  the  transformer  are  told  by  tribes  everywhere.  In  the  ter- 
ritory covered  by  this  analysis  the  role  is  frequently  assigned  to  Moon 
or  Coyote  or  the  four  transformer  brothers,  less  frequently  but  never- 
theless commonly  enough  for  special  recognition,  to  Child  of  the  Root. 
In  the  majority  of  examples  close  attention  is  paid  to  the  transformer's 
origin,  little  is  told  of  his  specific  work  beyond  the  generalization  that 
he  went  about  transforming  people,  and  there  are  vagueness  and  un- 
certainty about  his  end.  Any  careful  details  are  almost  exclusively  re- 
stricted to  his  entrance  into  this  world,  after  that  is  settled  it  is  enough 
for  him  to  disappear.  This  is  in  contrast  to  the  treatment  accorded  the 
Coeur  d'Alene  Child  of  the  Root,  whose  work  for  mankind  is  clearly 
outlined  and  who,  when  it  is  finished,  definitely  takes  his  place  in  the 
sky  as  the  moon. 

Thompson  versions  are  typical  examples  of  this  formal  difference : 

A  girl  marries  hogfennel  root  and  gives  birth  to  a  son;  the  boy  is  abused  and 
taunted  on  his  origin  by  the  other  children;  his  mother  acknowledges  his  origin 
to  him ;  he  leaves  and  trains  in  the  mountains ;  he  travels  about,  sometimes  in 
company  with  the  Qwoqtqwal  brothers,  transforming  bad  people;  roots  grow 
wherever  he  goes;  he  leaves  many  springs  behind;  it  is  not  known  what  became 
of  him  (MAFLS  6:45;  MAM  12:319). 

The  Transformer  learns  the  identity  of  his  real  father  from  a  bird;  the  root 
confirms  it;  he  transforms  his  mother  into  a  stone  for  deceiving  him  and  puts  an 
end  to  intercourse  with  roots ;  equipped  with  great  power,  he  sets  out  on  travels 
and  disappears;  he  will  return  with  Coyote  as  chief  and  judge  at  the  time  when 
the  dead  come  back  (MAFLS  11:15). 

1  When  the  sun  is  not  too  bright  Helldiver  with  only  one  eye  can  be  seen  on  its 
face. 


64  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

A  girl  has  connection  with  a  root  and  gives  birth  to  a  son;  the  boy  transforms 
a  companion  into  a  flat-headed  fish  for  calling  him  the  son  of  a  root ;  he  throws 
his  mother  into  a  lake  for  lying  to  him  about  his  origin;  he  leaves  and  travels 
about  transforming  people ;  he  disappears ;  it  is  said  he  went  up  to  heaven  (MAFLS 
6:95;  BAAS  69:564;  ARBAE  31 :616). 

A  Lillooet  version  adds  a  few  details  to  this  Thompson  account,  but 
they  are  again  largely  linked  up  with  the  question  of  the  root  child's 
origin,  rather  than  with  his  work  or  end.  The  boy  transforms  the  father 
of  the  children  who  taunt  him  into  a  catfish;  the  people  who  mocked 
him  into  the  grizzly  bear,  wolf,  marten,  birds  and  fish ;  when  he  travels 
hogf  ennel  roots  twine  about  his  legs ;  everything  starts  burning  when  he 
stops  the  sun,  so  he  makes  it  move  again  (MAM  4:350;  ARBAE 
31:617). 

A  fourth  Thompson  version,  as  well  as  a  Sanpoil  story  (JAFL  46: 
136),  are  notable  exceptions  to  this  generalizing  tendency  at  the  con- 
clusion of  the  myth — though  both  Thompson  and  Sanpoil  are  still  suffi- 
ciently vague  in  the  body  of  it — and  these  two  versions  as  a  result  be- 
come the  closest  parallels  to  the  Coeur  d'Alene  myth  taken  as  a  whole. 

A  mother  lies  to  her  son  three  times  about  his  father ;  the  boy  leaves ;  hogfennel 
plants  wrap  themselves  about  his  legs ;  Bullhead  Catfish  calls  him  by  his  root 
name ;  he  transforms  Bullhead  into  a  catfish ;  he  kills  his  mother  and  puts  an  end 
to  intercourse  with  roots ;  he  travels  about  doing  wonderful  things ;  four  mornings 
he  wakes  up  with  a  wet  belly ;  an  investigation  reveals  Frog,  who  wishes  to 
marry  him,  has  been  sleeping  with  him;  a  prettier  wife  is  given  him;  Frog  jumps 
on  his  face ;  Coyote  as  moon  tells  everything  he  sees ;  Child  of  Hogfennel  becomes 
moon  {Thompson  MAM  12:224;  ARBAE  31:616). 

A  woman  throws  roots  under  the  ashes  in  the  fireplace  to  obtain  a  brother  for  her 
first-born,  One  Eye,  who  originated  from  a  chip  in  a  cradle;  she  discards  the  first 
child,  a  girl,  and  receives  a  boy  from  the  roots ;  the  brothers  reach  the  gathering 
of  people  assembled  to  change  the  sun;  Toad  causes  a  great  rain  so  that  the 
brothers  will  take  shelter  in  her  lodge;  she  jumps  on  the  younger  brother's 
cheek;  One  Eye  and  his  younger  brother  become  the  sun  and  moon  after  Wood- 
pecker, Crane  and  Coyote  prove  unsatisfactory  {Sanpoil  JAFL  46:136). 

The  remaining  references  to  the  root  child  are  all  of  the  typical  brief 
unorientated  type  with  no  transforming  details ;  the  child,  in  fact,  need 
not  be  a  transformer. 

The  Shuswap  tell  of  a  boy  who  was  said  to  be  the  offspring  of  the  hogfennel 
root ;  he  went  about  with  the  four  transformer  brothers  ridding  the  country  of  evil 
beings.  Some  say  the  women  had  hogfennel  roots  for  husbands  before  Coyote  came 
and  changed  things  (MAM  4:644,  652). 


The  Myths  and  Tales  65 

The  Tlingit  narrate  that  girls  are  warned  they  might  have  a  baby  from  swal- 
lowing the  sap  of  roots,  for  Root  Stump  formerly  crossed  canyons  by  striking  his 
roots  into  the  ground.  Root  Stump's  origin  is  described  as  follows :  all  but  a  woman 
and  her  daughter  are  carried  up  to  the  sky  by  something  which  dropped  down; 
the  girl  swallows  root  sap  and  gives  birth  to  Root  Stump;  Root  Stump  pulls  the 
malicious  thing  down  from  the  sky  by  running  his  roots  into  the  ground;  he  like- 
wise kills  a  man  who  entices  people  into  his  canoe  to  kill  them  (BBAE  39:42,  193; 
ARBAE  31:946). 

In  a  Haida  myth  the  one  girl  left  behind  when  the  rest  of  the  people  are  carried 
off  by  a  feather  eats  roots  and  gives  birth  to  a  tree-spirit  who  seizes  the  feather 
while  his  roots  hold  him  in  the  ground  (MAM  14:642;  MAM  12:228). 

Though  each  of  the  above  myths  on  the  whole  fails  to  mention  the 
specific  work  of  the  hero,  duplications  of  two  of  the  feats  accomplished 
by  the  Coeur  d'Alene  Chief  Child  of  the  Root  are  to  be  found  in  stories 
centering  about  the  lives  of  other  transformers,  Moon,  Coyote  and 
others. 

The  service  to  mankind  most  frequently  accredited  to  all  the  trans- 
formers alike  is  the  abolition  of  man-eating  awls,  combs,  etc. 

This  is  a  part  of  Moon's  work  in  a  Southern  Puget  Sound  transformer  myth. 
Crane  (Wren;  Blue  Heron)  is  obliged  to  use  his  head  for  a  hammer,  since  sticks 
and  stones  attack  him  when  he  picks  them  up ;  Moon  transforms  poles  and  stones 
into  inanimate  objects  (he  teaches  Wren  the  use  of  the  wedge  and  the  maul).  A 
parallel  to  Child  of  the  Root's  kindness  towards  Kingfisher  or  Fishhawk  is  Moon's 
act  of  stretching  Crane's  bill  and  legs  so  he  can  spear  salmon  in  the  water  (UWPA 
3:77,  81). 

In  the  Upper  Chehalis  transformer  story  Moon  is  attacked  by  a  needle  on  the 
trail ;  he  sticks  a  cattail  through  its  eye  and  decrees  it  shall  be  used  for  sewing ; 
when  another  thing  tries  to  run  over  him,  he  decrees  it  shall  be  a  mat-smoother 
(MAFLS  27:164). 

In  a  Thompson  myth  Coyote  is  attacked  by  a  comb,  an  awl,  fine  stones  (for 
smoothing  arrows)  and  a  stone  hammer,  each  of  which  he  attempts  to  pick  up  in  an 
underground  lodge;  he  runs  away  and  declares  each  shall  henceforth  be  a  tool  for 
man's  use  (MAFLS  11:5). 

In  the  Thompson  version  of  Coyote's  theft  of  his  son's  wife  Coyote's  son  enters 
an  underground  lodge  in  the  sky  country,  is  attacked  by  a  whole  row  of  baskets 
when  he  tries  to  pick  one  up,  replaces  it,  goes  outside  and  curses  baskets,  making 
them  henceforth  servants  of  the  people;  the  same  thing  happens  to  mats,  awls, 
combs,  and  birchbark  vessels  (MAFLS  6:22;  MAM  12:205). 

In  Shuswap  stories  of  the  Coyote  cycle  Coyote  makes  no  decree  with  regard  to 
the  future  role  of  the  objects,  but  it  may  be  that  such  action  against  them  is  im- 
plied :  Coyote  hears  voices  in  a  house,  enters  and  hurls  to  the  ground  a  hair  and  a 
comb,  which  are  doing  the  talking  (IS  8). 


66  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

Coyote  seizes  one  of  a  row  of  snowshoes  which  stand  on  end  around  the  walls 
of  a  house  and  dance  when  his  back  is  turned ;  he  is  attacked  by  the  snowshoes  and 
runs  away  (MAM  4:628). 

Among  the  Takelma  Dragonfly,  the  Transformer,  is  attacked  by  a  salmon-spear 
when  he  takes  some  of  the  provisions  he  finds  in  a  house ;  he  breaks  the  spear  and 
declares  it  shall  be  an  inanimate  object  in  the  future  (UPMAP  2:39;  ARBAE 
31:703). 

The  trickster  Raven's  experiences  with  the  Shadow  people  are  not 
episodes  in  a  transformer  cycle;  they  include  however  references  to 
such  live  objects  as  transformers  have  been  found  above  to  render 
inanimate. 

When  Raven  starts  to  carry  slices  of  halibut  and  seal  out  of  a  house,  wedges 
throw  themselves  at  him  until  he  drops  the  meat ;  when  he  attempts  the  same  thing 
in  a  second  house  where  he  sees  only  a  design  on  the  wall,  appearing  as  if  drawn 
with  a  fingernail,  his  hair  is  pulled ;  the  Shadow  people  are  attacking  him  ( Tlingit 
BBAE  29:134). 

Raven  eats  in  the  house  of  the  shadows  and  feathers ;  he  leaves ;  he  returns  to 
take  away  some  of  the  provisions  stored  in  the  house ;  the  shadows  and  feathers 
beat  him  and  throw  him  out  {Tlingit  IS  316,  326). 

Another  form  of  Chief  Child  of  the  Root's  work  as  a  transformer 
reappears  in  part  in  a  number  of  stories,  his  transformation  of  such 
individuals  as  Kingfisher  and  Fishhawk. 

The  closest  parallel,  Moon's  efforts  in  behalf  of  Crane  in  Southern 
Puget  Sound  mythology,  has  already  been  mentioned. 

In  a  Squamish  myth  a  man  rubs  his  double-pronged  spear  against  fish  and  thus 
collects  their  slime;  the  Transformers  show  him  how  to  spear  salmon  properly; 
he  resents  their  kindness;  they  inject  the  two  halves  of  his  spear  into  his  legs, 
push  its  point  up  his  nose,  stretch  his  neck  and  clap;  he  turns  into  a  crane  (BAAS 
70:519;  ARBAE  31:606). 

In  Thompson,  Lillooet,  and  Stsee'lis  myths  there  is  no  transformation  as  such 
by  the  transformer:  a  man  (sandpiper)  rubs  a  sharpened  pole  (two  sticks;  the 
frame  of  a  dip-net)  against  fish,  then  scrapes  off  the  fish-slime  and  boils  it  (with 
grass  or  roots  and  berries)  ;  the  Transformer  shows  him  how  to  make  and  use  a 
dip-net  (a  salmon-spear  and  fish-caches)  and  how  to  split,  cook,  and  dry  the  fish 
(MAM  12:318,  349;  MAM  4:294;  ARBAE  31:605;  JAI  34:362;  ARBAE 
31:605). 

A  Newettee  incident  combines  a  feature  of  Chief  Child  of  the  Root's  dealings 
with  Splinter  Leg  with  an  element  found  in  his  treatment  of  Kingfisher  and  Fish- 
hawk;  the  dominating  motive,  however,  is  one  of  revenge  and  punishment  rather 
than  of  reward :  The  Transformer  swims  off  as  a  fish  with  Crane's  harpoon-point ; 


The  Myths  and  Tales  67 

he  appears  before  Crane  wearing  it  as  an  ear  ornament;  Crane  recognizes  it  and 
puts  splintered  bone  in  the  Transformer's  food;  he  shakes  the  bones  out  of  the 
Transformer's  throat  when  the  latter  promises  to  return  the  harpoon-point;  the 
Transformer  presses  the  points  into  Crane's  nose  and  transforms  him  into  a  crane 
(IS  201). 

The  selection  of  a  moon  and  a  sun  is  the  concern  of  the  people  in  a 
number  of  myths.  The  method  of  procedure  and  the  factors  which  deter- 
mine the  choice  are  practically  identical  in  all  the  instances ;  the  varia- 
tions which  occur  rest  in  the  final  identity  of  the  characters  chosen.  As 
the  Coeur  d'Alene  assign  the  moon  role  to  Chief  Child  of  the  Root,  so 
those  tribes  which  have  Moon  as  the  transformer  hero  make  him  their 
choice  with  his  wife  (or  grandmother)  Frog  (or  Toad)  appearing  upon 
his  face.  In  each  of  these  instances  Moon's  younger,  cross-eyed  brother 
who  has  a  role  in  his  myth  is  appropriately  enough  accepted  as  the  sun. 
In  the  Coeur  d'Alene  myth  there  is  no  character  available  for  this  part, 
for  Child  of  the  Root  has  no  brother  and  no  companions;  it  is  stated 
that  Helldiver's  child  offered  to  be  the  sun  and  was  accepted.  As  will  be 
noted  in  the  list  of  tribes  below,  in  whose  mythology  this  creation  episode 
is  found,  choices  for  a  sun  may  include:  Lynx's  son,  Coyote's  son, 
Chicken  Hawk,  Redshafted  Flicker's  egg. 

Southern  Puget  Sound.  Yellowhammer,  Raven,  Coyote,  Woodpecker,  and  Hum- 
mingbird are  all  unsatisfactory  as  the  sun ;  Moon  is  too  hot ;  Moon,  with  Grand- 
mother Toad  upon  his  face,  becomes  the  moon,  his  younger  brother  becomes  the 
sun  (UWPA  3:78,  80). 

Coast  Salish.  Moon  (the  older  boy  who  had  been  lost)  rises  as  the  day  moon  but 
burns  everything  up;  his  brother  is  frightened  as  the  night  moon  (does  not  give 
enough  light)  ;  thus  Moon  becomes  the  moon,  his  brother,  the  sun;  Moon's  wife 
(grandmother)  Toad  (Frog)  is  with  him  (both  the  moon  and  the  sun  have  their 
Frog  wives  with  them  to  doctor  them  when  they  get  sick;  Moon  has  on  a  tight 
cap  which  gives  him  cross-eyes  like  his  brother).  In  the  Cowlitz  tale — the  trans- 
former runs  away  ashamed  when  the  people  discover  that  he  eats  too  much;  he 
becomes  the  moon;  his  wife  jumps  into  his  eye;  his  younger  brother  follows  him 
and  becomes  the  sun  (MAFLS  27:379;  172,  176,  271,  272,  283,  360,  378). 

Nez  Perce.  Coyote  calls  a  council  to  consider  the  question  of  the  sun  and  requests 
both  of  Sun's  wives  to  attend,  though  Sun  does  not  love  the  one,  Frog;  Frog  sits 
on  Sun's  eye  and  cannot  be  dislodged ;  Sun  is  scolded  for  giving  too  much  heat  and 
is  instructed  to  change  places  with  Moon  (MAFLS  11:195). 

Kutenai.  Raven,  Chicken  Hawk  and  Coyote  are  unsatisfactory  as  the  sun;  a 
woman's  older  child  is  chosen  to  be  the  sun,  the  younger  child,  the  moon;  Raven 
and  Coyote  (the  Transformer,  Coyote,  and  Chicken  Hawk)  are  unsatisfactory  as 
the  sun;  the  two  Lynx  children  are  chosen  to  be  the  sun  and  the  moon  (Coyote, 
angry  that  he  cannot  be  the  sun,  tries  to  shoot  it;  his  bow  catches  fire  and  ignites 


68  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

the  prairie;  he  escapes  burning  by  lying  in  the  trail)  ;  Coyote  is  unsatisfactory  as 
the  sun;  Chicken  Hawk  is  found  acceptable  (BBAE  59:67,  117,  287;  ARBAE 
31:728;  VBGA  23:161;  Dyer). 

Okanagon.  Red-headed  Woodpecker,  Crane  and  Coyote  are  unsatisfactory  as  the 
sun;  Coyote's  son  is  chosen  (JAI  41:145;  ARBAE  31:727). 

Shuswap.  Many  birds  and  Coyote  prove  unsatisfactory  as  the  sun:  a  red  bird 
meets  with  approval ;  Coyote  is  unsatisfactory  as  the  sun ;  Redshafted  Flicker  takes 
his  place;  Flicker  later  lays  an  egg  which  is  changed  into  the  present  sun  (IS  5; 
MAM  4:738;  ARBAE  31:945). 

Incidentally  in  a  Wishram  myth  Coyote  tries  out  for  the  position  of  Sun  Woman's 
slave ;  as  usual  he  gossips  about  everything  he  sees ;  Sun  tells  him  he  is  too  mean 
for  her  to  take  about  any  longer  (PAES  2:47;  ARBAE  31 :945). 

Additional  Shuswap  and  Thompson  stories,  though  they  do  not  dis- 
cuss the  actual  selection  of  a  moon,  explain  the  presence  of  a  woman 
upon  it. 

Moon  pettishly  tells  one  of  his  wives  who  has  borne  him  two  children  and  of 
whom  he  is  less  fond  than  the  other,  to  camp  on  his  face ;  she  is  still  there  (hold- 
ing her  birchbark  buckets  and  snow-shovel)   {Shuswap:  MAM  4:653;  IS  15). 

Moon  invites  the  stars  to  his  house;  the  Pleiades  crowd  the  house;  Moon  jok- 
ingly tells  his  sister  to  sit  on  his  face;  she  is  still  there  holding  her  water-buckets 
{Thompson  MAFLS  6:91;  MAM  12:229). 


B.   COYOTE  CYCLE 

2.  Origin  of  Indian  Tribes  (From  Parts  of  Monster) 

Grizzly  tries  to  kill  Rabbit  for  his  food 

Rabbit  tricks  Grizzly  in  contests 

Rabbit  kills  Gobbler's  wife 

Coyote  hides  Rabbit 

Coyote's  powers  help  him  defeat  Gobbler  and  his  dog 

Coyote  frees  people  in  Gobbler's  stomach 

Coyote  cuts  up  Gobbler,  throws  his  parts  about  and  the  Indian  tribes  originate 

Rabbit  had  a  house  near  Grizzly  Bear's.  Grizzly  was  always  starving 
and  Rabbit  always  had  to  feed  him.  Besides  eating  all  he  wished  Grizzly 
always  wanted  to  take  some  food  along  with  him.  Then  he  became  so 
greedy  he  thought  he  would  kill  Rabbit  and  get  all  the  food.  "Let's  play," 
he  proposed.  Rabbit  said,  "We  are  no  children  to  be  playing."  "Oh, 
come  on,  let's  play.  Let's  go  bathing." 


The  Myths  and  Tales  69 

When  they  were  in  the  water  Grizzly  said,  "Let's  splash.  Let  me  be 
first."  He  took  water  and  threw  it  at  Rabbit,  then  laughted,  "Uh  uh 
uh!"  Rabbit  took  a  big  spoon  made  of  elk  antler.  While  Grizzly  was 
laughing  he  filled  it  with  water  and  threw  it  down  Grizzly's  throat.  He 
almost  choked.  Rabbit  ran  away  into  his  house.  He  threw  Grizzly's 
food  out  at  him  and  saw  him  eat  it  greedily.  Grizzly  laughed  again,  "We 
are  only  playing."  "I'm  going  to  shoot  him  in  the  eye,"  he  added  to 
himself. 

Rabbit  took  a  bladder,  blew  it  up  and  put  it  in  his  eye.  Grizzly  shot 
at  him,  the  bladder  burst.  Grizzly  laughed,  "My !  Isn't  that  fun !"  Then 
came  Rabbit's  turn.  He  shot  and  put  out  Grizzly's  eye.  He  growled. 
Rabbit  ran  home.  Then  he  ran  into  the  timber  and  soon  came  to  the 
house  where  a  wicked  old  woman  lived  with  her  daughter  and  son-in- 
law.  The  husband  of  the  girl  was  gone.  Rabbit  killed  the  girl.  He  took 
a  knife  and  began  to  skin  her.  [As  he  did  so  he  asked  the  old  woman, 
"Are  my  ears  getting  longer?"  "Yes."  Then  as  he  cut  her  down  the 
back,  "Is  my  fat  showing?"  "Yes,"  the  old  woman  was  compelled  to 
answer. 

The  girl  had  an  understanding  with  her  husband  when  they  first  got 
married.  She  had  told  him,  "If  one  of  your  arrows  breaks  when  you 
are  hunting  then  you  will  know  I  am  dead."  He  had  told  her,  "If  ever 
your  digging  stick  breaks  when  you  are  digging  camas  you  will  know 
I  am  dead." 

Now  when  the  husband  was  out  hunting  he  was  warned  of  his  wife's 
disaster  by  the  breaking  of  his  arrow.  He  hurried  home.  "Mother-in- 
law,  what  does  this  mean?"  he  asked.  "Rabbit  came  in,  killed  our 
daughter,  cut  her  open  and  went  away  again."]1 

Rabbit  had  escaped  into  the  timber  but  the  man  came  after  him. 
Rabbit  made  all  kinds  of  tracks  in  the  timber  so  the  man  could  not 
track  him  easily,  but  nevertheless  he  followed.  Then  Rabbit  put  cooked 
camas  down  at  intervals.  This  was  so  the  man  would  be  delayed  by 
picking  it  up  to  eat.  Finally  Rabbit  came  to  the  open  prairie.  Just  as  he 
got  a  good  start  forward  he  ran  into  Coyote.  He  said,  "You  shouldn't 
delay  me  this  way.  A  monster  is  chasing  me." 

Coyote  took  up  some  jointgrass,  pulled  the  joints  apart  and  hid  Rab- 
bit in  it.  When  he  looked  at  Rabbit  he  was  shaking  with  fear.  Coyote 
blew  the  jointgrass  so  it  looked  as  if  it  was  shaking  in  the  wind.  Then 
he  consulted  his  powers.  The  first  one  said,  "The  monster  who  is  after 
you  has  a  dog,  the  Grizzly  Bear,  whose  name  is  tcn'aqsi'na.  I'll  be  your 
dog  and  my  name  will  be  the  same.  I'll  be  very  small."  The  second 

1The  part  in  brackets  was  not  given  in  the  text,  but  was  explained  by  the  in- 
formant. 


70  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

power  said,  "I'll  be  a  knife  at  the  back  of  your  dog'  head."  The  third 
said,  "I'll  give  you  the  power  to  gobble  everything  up." 

They  saw  Gobbler  coming  with  his  dog.  "Did  you  see  what  I  am 
chasing?"  he  asked  roughly.  "What  are  you  chasing?"  "A  rabbit." 
"No."  "Here  are  his  tracks."  "No,  I  didn't  see  him.  Maybe  he  passed 
before  I  came."  "Hum,  hum,"  growled  Gobbler's  dog.  "Be  quiet, 
tcn'aqsi'na!"  said  Coyote.  "Why!  We  call  our  pets  by  the  same  name!" 
said  the  monster." 

Coyote  answered,  "Ah,  ah,  my  father  and  his  father,  then  his  father 
and  his  father  had  the  same  name  for  their  dogs."  Then  the  monster 
became  angry.  He  walked  toward  his  pet.  He  said,  "Make  your  pet  stop 
growling,  we  might  kill  you."  Coyote  said,  "You  stop  yours."  "You 
better  listen  to  me.  He  will  kill  you."  Coyote  laughed,  "We  might  kill 
you."  "Oh  no !"  Then  Coyote  proposed,  "Let's  have  our  dogs  fight." 

So  they  turned  the  dogs  loose  and  they  fought.  Coyote's  dog  was 
bitten  and  stepped  on.  Coyote  laughed.  He  called,  "What  is  the  matter 
with  you,  tcn'aqsi'na?  Why  don't  you  put  your  head  under  him?"  and 
laughed  again.  Again  he  egged  him  on.  Then  the  dog  crawled  under 
Grizzly  and,  with  the  knife  behind  his  head,  ripped  his  stomach  open. 
He  fell. 

The  monster  mourned  for  his  dog.  Coyote  said,  "It's  too  bad.  I  told 
you  to  call  off  your  dog  when  they  started  to  fight.  I  saw  they  were  mad." 
"Shut  up !  I'll  gobble  you  up !"  Coyote  answered,  "Do  you  mean  you 
will  gobble  me  up?  I'll  gobble  you  up !  Let's  see  if  we  can  gobble  up  that 
tree.  You  try  first !" 

The  giant  tried,  but  left  about  three  feet  of  the  stump  standing. 
Coyote  laughed.  "I  thought  you  were  smart.  Now  look  at  me!"  He 
gobbled.  When  he  was  through  not  a  splinter  of  the  tree  was  left.  "Now 
look,"  said  Coyote.  "That  is  the  way  real  gobblers  gobble.  Let's  go  and 
gobble  that  cliff.  You  go  first." 

The  ogre  gobbled  at  it  but  when  he  had  done  his  best  some  rocks  were 
left.  Coyote  laughed.  He  gobbled  and  not  a  pebble  was  left.  "You  are 
not  like  me,"  he  bragged,  "/  am  the  smart  one!"  "I  might  gobble  you 
up,"  said  Gobbler.  "All  right,  try  it !" 

Before  Coyote  could  look  he  found  himself  inside  the  monster's 
stomach.  There  were  lots  of  people  there  playing  games.  Some  were 
playing  the  stickgame,  others  cards,  still  others  were  dancing  a  war 
dance.  Coyote  said  to  them,  "What's  the  matter  with  you  all?  You  are 
pitiful.  Don't  you  know  you  are  in  the  belly  of  a  monster.  I  am  going 
out  of  here.  Get  yourselves  ready.  Soon  I'll  be  back,  then  I'll  fix  it  so 
you  can  come  out." 


The  Myths  and  Tales  71 

He  tickled  the  ogre's  heart  and  was  spat  out.  Far  away  he  landed. 
Coyote  picked  up  a  stick  to  make  a  hoop  and  continued  making  hoops 
as  he  talked  to  Gobbler.  "Your  insides  show  you  are  a  good  gambler. 
You  are  a  card  player."  Coyote  had  made  a  hoop  the  size  of  the  ogre's 
mouth  and  was  now  fashioning  two  smaller  ones  the  size  of  his  nostrils. 
"You  are  a  good  war  dancer." 

The  ogre  answered,  "Because  you  are  no  good,  that  is  the  reason  I 
vomited  you  up.  I  eat  only  good  things."  Coyote  said,  "You  only  think 
so.  You  eat  mice.  I  am  the  one  who  eats  really  good  things." 

"Just  a  minute  ago  I  got  through  eating  two  nice,  neat,  good-looking 
people."  Coyote  said,  "I  was  the  one  who  ate  those  two."  "If  that's  true 
vomit  them  out."  "Come,"  said  Coyote.  "Sit  down  there,  close  your  eyes, 
I'll  close  mine  and  we  will  see  what  we  can  vomit.  You  do  it  first !" 

The  monster  vomited  two  people  and  Coyote  four  mice.  Coyote  threw 
the  mice  in  front  of  Gobbler  and  put  the  people  on  his  side.  "Hahui! 
Let's  open  our  eyes."  Coyote  laughed.  "Those  nice-looking  ones  are  the 
ones  I  ate."  Gobbler  could  not  believe  his  eyes.  "They  are  the  ones  I 
ate.  I  never  did  eat  mice."  "Look  where  they  are,  on  your  side."  "I'll 
gobble  you  up !"  "You're  a  mouse-eater !"  Coyote  had  the  hoops  in  his 
hand.  He  held  them  flat.  "All  right,  go  on,  gobble  me  up." 

Again  in  a  twinkling  he  was  in  the  monster's  stomach.  "Hahui!"  he 
said  to  the  people.  "Wait  till  I  run  out,  then  you  can  get  out  too." 

He  ripped  open  the  stomach.  It  was  light  again.  The  people  ran  out. 
He  cut  off  the  giant's  heart.  Then  he  set  the  large  hoop  so  it  would  hold 
the  mouth  open  and  the  smaller  ones  in  the  nostrils.  Everyone  came  out. 
The  ogre  died.  Coyote  ran  off. 

He  went  back,  to  the  jointgrass  where  Rabbit  was  hiding  and  took 
him  out.  He  was  glad  to  be  free.  Then  Coyote  told  Rabbit  to  cut  the 
giant  up.  He  cut  him  all  up.  Coyote  took  the  pieces  and  threw  them 
about.  He  threw  a  leg  and  said,  "You  will  become  the  Blackf oot  Indians. 
You  will  be  tall."  He  threw  a  rib  saying,  "You  will  be  the  Nez  Perce. 
You  will  have  good  heads."1  The  paunch  became  the  Gros  Ventre,  "You 

1  Referring  to  the  fact  that  the  Nez  Perce  have  beautiful  long  hair, 
will  have  big  bellies."  Then  he  threw  the  heart.  "You'll  be  the  Coeur 
d'Alene.  You'll  be  mean." 

He  threw  all  the  pieces  away.  Then  he  wiped  his  hands  on  some  grass. 
He  threw  the  grass  away.  "You  will  be  the  Spokan.  You  will  be  poor," 
he  decreed. 

That  is  the  end  of  my  road.1 

1  Additional  explanation  not  in  the  text:  Each  time  a  piece  of  Gobbler's  body 
hit  the  ground  smoke  came  up  and  made  a  dwelling.  The  Palous  Indians  were  made 
of  the  second  stomach. 


72  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

A  similar  myth  is  found  among  the  Nez  Perce,  Sahaptin,  Wishram, 
Wasco,  Thompson,  Kutenai,  Shuswap,  Chinook,  Kathlamet,  Southern 
Puget  Sound  people,  Sanpoil  and  Cowlitz. 

The  Nez  Perce  (CUCA  25:26),  Sahaptin  (MAFLS  11:148-9)  and 
Wishram  (PAES  2:43)  myths  and  a  Thompson  version  (MAM  12:314) 
correspond  to  the  second  half  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  myth :  Coyote  kills  a 
swallowing  monster,  frees  the  people  inside  it,  carves  and  distributes  it. 

Other  instances  of  the  dissection  and  distribution  of  monsters  are 
frequent,  although  there  is  little  agreement  as  to  the  ultimate  disposition 
of  the  body  parts  and  the  sources  of  origin  of  the  various  tribes. 


The  animals  kill,  cut  up  and  distribute  the  water  monster  which  had  swallowed 
Flicker  and  Duck  {Kutenai  BBAE  59:81).  Chief  Woodpecker  kills  and,  assisted 
by  the  animals  and  birds,  cuts  up  and  distributes  Seacow  who  had  hit  Big  Wood- 
pecker's brother  and  made  his  head  bloody  {Kutenai,  Dyer).  Bluejay  scatters  the 
parts  of  the  water  mystery  monster  he  has  killed  {Shuswap  MAM  4:667).  The 
crying  monster  is  distributed  by  the  men  who  killed  it  {Thompson  MAFLS  6:79). 
Ntci'mka  has  his  boy  helper  scatter  the  body  parts  of  the  man-eater  they  have 
killed  {Thompson  MAFLS  6:81;  MAM  12:255).  In  Chinook  mythology  (BBAE 
20:21)  two  transformers  and  their  dog  defeat  a  monster  woman  and  her  dog  in 
contests,  revive  the  boys  she  has  killed,  hurl  her  down  a  precipice  and  instruct  the 
boys  to  scatter  her  body  parts  in  various  directions.  In  the  Kathlamet  myth  (BBAE 
26:65)  the  youngest  of  five  brothers  allows  himself  to  be  swallowed  by  an  elk 
monster,  kills  it  with  the  help  of  his  dog  and  his  grandmother  and  cuts  it  up;  the 
pieces  of  elkskin  become  prairies. 


Additional  myths  which  recount  the  killing  of  monsters  omit  the 
distribution  and  tribal  origin  element. 


With  the  help  of  his  excrement  Coyote  and  his  dog  defeat  Cannibal  and  his 
dog  in  contests  (vomiting  and  dogfight)  ;  in  exchange  for  his  dog  of  dung  Coyote 
receives  Cannibal's  staff  for  calling  the  deer  {Thompson  MAFLS  6:30,  81).  Coyote, 
swallowed  by  a  monster,  kills  it  with  the  help  of  his  two  sisters,  the  Cayuse  girls, 
pieces  of  excrement,  and  the  people  inside  are  exhaled  {Wasco  PAES  2:267). 
Xode  tricks  Mountain  Woman  in  a  vomiting  contest,  is  sucked  in  by  her  and  trans- 
forms her  into  a  rock  {Southern  Puget  Sound  UWPA  3:120-1).  Coyote  tricks 
man-eating  Owl  in  a  vomiting  contest;  Coyote  and  Owl  turn  into  cliffs  {Shuswap 
IS  9).  Elsewhere  Coyote  transforms  Cannibal  Owl  into  an  owl  {Thompson  MAM 
12:300).  In  the  Sanpoil  myth  (JAFL  46:160)  Coyote's  dog  kills  the  monster 
Grizzly  Bear;  Grizzly  Bear  kills  Coyote,  Fox  revives  Coyote,  Coyote's  faeces  be- 
come his  dog  and  flint  and  kill  Grizzly.  The  Cowlitz  (MAFLS  27:260)  relate  the 
myth  of  Xwani  and  his  dog :  Xwani  takes  out  his  excrement  sisters  who  warn  him 
of  the  dangerous  being  and  his  dog.  Xwani  changes  his  excrement  into  people  and 
a  dog ;  trades  dogs ;  the  dangerous  being  slips  on  the  excrement  people  and  is  killed. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  73 

3.  Coyote  Overpowers  Sun  {Securing  Sun  Disk) 

Coyote's  four  children  and  Antelope's  four  children  steal  sun  disk 

Coyote's  children  killed 

Coyote  steals  disk  from  Antelope 

Antelope  recover  disk 

Coyote  seeks  revenge 

Meadowlark  advises  Coyote  to  travel  at  night 

Coyote's  powers  help  him  in  contest  with  Sun  at  a  spring 

Coyote  overcomes  Sun 

Coyote  restores  Sun's  light 

Coyote  and  Antelope  lived  together.  Each  had  four  children.  The 
Coyote  children  had  names,  the  Antelope  children  had  none.  Every  morn- 
ing Coyote's  children  went  into  the  sweathouse.  Antelope's  children  went 
away.  In  four  days  they  returned.  Then  Coyote's  children  went  away  and 
Antelope's  children  went  into  the  sweathouse  to  sweat.  They  did  that 
for  a  month.  Then  they  all  went  far  away.  They  came  to  a  place  where 
there  were  many  people.  At  night  the  oldest  Coyote  stopped  nearest  the 
people.  Then  the  second,  the  third,  and  finally,  the  youngest  took  up  his 
place.  That  was  all  of  Coyote's  sons.  Then  the  oldest  Antelope  took  his 
place  and  the  others  arranged  themselves  in  order  according  to  age. 

Sun,  who  was  chief  of  the  people,  had  a  valuable  disk  the  Antelopes 
and  Coyote  wanted.  It  lay  in  the  chief's  house.  Coyote's  child  went  in 
and  took  it.  When  the  people  found  it  was  gone  they  cried  out.  They  gave 
chase  and  just  as  they  were  about  to  kill  him  he  rolled  it  to  his  next 
younger  brother.  In  this  way  each  Coyote  got  it  and  passed  it  to  the  next 
although  he  was  killed  in  doing  so.  The  oldest  Coyote  passed  it  to  the 
oldest  Antelope.  Each  Antelope  passed  it  to  his  brother  and  all  escaped 
for  they  could  outrun  the  Sun's  people. 

The  Antelopes  went  home  and  announced1  that  the  Coyote  children 
were  dead,  "You  no  longer  have  any  children,  Coyote !" 

Coyote  and  Antelope  had  been  listening  for  the  return  of  their  chil- 
dren. Now  they  heard  the  cry  of  mourning.  They  went  out  and  listened, 
"Oh!  You  have  no  children  any  more,  Coyote."  Antelope  said,  "They 
said,  'Coyote?'  "  "No,"  said  Coyote,  "They  said,  'Antelope!'  "  As  they 
were  arguing  the  same  cry  came  again.  Each  insisted  it  was  announcing 
the  misfortune  of  the  other. 

Finally  Antelope  said,  "My  children  are  not  lazy  enough  to  be  killed." 

Coyote  retaliated,  "Are  they  not  my  children  who  go  to  rocky  places 
and  eat  nothing  but  rosehips  for  four  days  at  a  time?" 

Then  Antelope  put  a  stick  in  the  fire  and  when  it  was  well  burned 

1  This  they  did  by  hammering  on  their  canoes,  then  the  people  came  out  of  their 
houses  to  hear  who  had  died. 


74  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

hit  Coyote  making  marks  around  his  eyes.  Coyote  burned  a  stick  and 
just  as  Antelope  ran  out  hit  him  with  it  at  the  root  of  his  tail  and  on 
his  legs. 

Coyote  left  Antelope's  house.  He  cried  all  the  time.  Then  Antelope 
said  to  his  children,  "Whenever  he  stops  crying  give  him  the  sun's  disk. 
His  children  are  the  ones  who  really  got  it." 

Coyote  kept  on  crying.  He  did  not  even  sleep  for  about  four  days.  By 
that  time  his  cry,  "awawa,  awawa,  my  children,"  had  become  very  faint. 
Antelope  said,  "Go  and  see."  Some  went.  They  pulled  aside  the  rush 
mat  which  served  as  a  curtain  and  saw  nothing.  The  crying  continued 
weakly.  They  looked  around  for  Coyote  and  found  that  he  had  left  long 
before.  He  had  left  his  spittle  crying  in  the  fire. 

When  the  antelope  came  out  looking  for  Coyote  they  saw  him  run- 
ning with  the  precious  disk.  They  followed  him  to  the  cliff  over  which 
Spokane  Falls  play.  When  Coyote  got  there  he  said,  "Four  times  I  will 
pretend  to  throw  it  over  the  cliff.  The  fourth  time  I  will  really  throw  it 
into  the  river."  Each  time  he  raised  it  he  sang,  "The  precious  disk, 
wu  ••■•/'  but  he  did  not  let  it  go.  After  three  times  he  said,  "Only  once 
more  then  I'll  let  you  go.  Then  you'll  stay  for  good." 

Meanwhile  the  antelopes  were  coming  nearer.  Just  as  he  let  it  go,  one 
caught  it  exclaiming,  "How  can  you  ever  pay  for  it  ?"  Coyote  answered, 
"What  did  you  pay  for  it  when  you  had  it,  this  valuable  thing?"  The 
Antelope  took  it. 

Coyote  kept  on  crying.  He  went  home.  He  did  not  eat  or  sleep,  just 
cried  for  some  days.  One  day  at  sunset  he  stopped  crying  and  said, 
"u-u-u !"  Antelope  said,  "You  smarty  of  a  Coyote !" 

Then  Coyote  sang: 

"xiy'd  xiy'd  wa  wd  xu  xu  la 

"I  ought  not  to  be  a  woman. 

"Why  should  I  soil  my  eyes  with  crying. 

"Go  and  sing,  my  aunties." 

"Maybe  he  didn't  die,  the  one  who  said  that  to  me.  Maybe  you  are 
just  like  me.  Now  I  am  going  to  avenge  my  children."  Antelope  said 
again,  "That  smarty  of  a  Coyote !" 

Coyote  went.  All  night  he  serenaded  his  aunties,  the  little  mice.  Just 
about  daylight  he  said  to  his  aunties,  "In  just  a  month  after  I  have  gone 
you  will  think  me  dead."  As  he  went  out,  he  said,  "Good  day,  my 
aunties,"  and  left.  He  walked  and  walked.  He  thought  by  walking  east 
he  would  get  to  where  the  sun  was.  In  broad  daylight  he  walked.  The 
sun  saw  him  and  said,  "You  sly  one!  You  think  you  are  going  to  take 
revenge  and  you  are  walking  in  plain  sight." 


The  Myths  and  Tales  75 

Each  day  this  happened.  One  day  Coyote  saw  two  nicely  smoothed 
little  sticks  in  the  road.  He  stepped  on  them.  They  broke,  "anininin ! 
You  broke  my  leg.  I  was  going  to  tell  you  a  story." 

Coyote  answered,  "I  have  business  to  attend  to  now."  "What  do  you 
have  to  worry  so  about?"  "Oh,  go  on  tell  me  a  story.  I  will  fix  it  for 
you." 

He  put  the  bones  in  place  and  smoothed  them.  Then  said  Meadow- 
lark  (for  it  was  her  leg  he  had  broken),  "Why  do  you  go  around  in  the 
daytime  when  the  sun  is  out?  He  can  see  you  walking  around.  Don't 
walk  any  more  in  the  daytime  but  only  at  night.  At  daylight  lie  down 
in  a  hole  in  the  ground  and  sleep.  About  sunset  get  up  and  walk."  Coyote 
said,  "Thank  you." 

He  rewarded  meadowlark  by  putting  around  her  neck  a  black  medal 
on  a  black  string  which  had  belonged  to  bluebird.  Now  Coyote  traveled 
only  at  night.  At  dawn  he  lay  down  until  the  sun  was  gone.  The  sun 
wondered,  "I  wonder  where  he  is.  Maybe  he  is  lying  down." 

Then  Coyote  saw  the  spring  where  the  sun  paused  to  drink  every  day 
at  noon.  He  consulted  his  magic  powers."1  "Tell  me  what  to  do  right 
away."  They  said,  "He  never  passes  by  that  spring  without  stopping. 
Always  at  noon  he  stops  to  drink." 

Coyote  went  over  to  the  spring.  He  saw  two  holes  where  the  sun 
placed  his  knees  as  he  bent  to  drink.  His  powers  told  him,  "Opposite 
those  holes  dig  two  for  yourself.  At  dinner  time  when  he  comes  down  he 
will  stop  here.  He  will  descend  but  will  not  touch  the  ground.  Don't  at- 
tack him  until  he  comes  down." 

One  power  gave  him  a  small  knife  like  a  paring  knife.  The  other  gave 
him  something  to  shoot  with.  The  third  was  to  hold  him  back  when  the 
sun  pretended  he  was  coming  to  earth. 

The  next  day  the  sun  rose.  He  said,  "Coyote,  whoever  seeks  revenge 
must  lie  down."  Coyote  said,  "He  saw  me  already,  I  may  as  well  be 
walking,"  but  his  powers  said,  "No  he  is  only  pretending.  After  a 
little  he  will  come  down  closer."  Coyote  saw  something  hanging  down 
from  the  sun's  head.  His  powers  said,  "That  is  his  heart.  That  is  what 
you  must  cut  off." 

Up  again  went  the  sun.  "Let  me  get  him,"  said  Coyote.  "No,  he'll 
soon  come  very  close,"  and  his  power  held  him  back.  Once  more  it  came 
down,  "I  am  going  to  shoot  at  it." 

"No,  you  would  only  shoot  in  vain.  He  would  not  die.  You  must  cut 
off  his  bangs.  Only  then  will  he  die."  The  next  time  the  sun  touched 

1 1  was  not  able  to  find  out  just  what  these  powers  were.  There  were  said  to  be 
four  of  them,  I  suspect  they  were  Coyote's  penis,  testes  and  dung,  or  they  might 
have  been  only  dung.  In  Thompson  mythology  Coyote's  power  is  his  excrement  (cp. 
MAFLS  6 :30 ;  also  BBAE  26 :45,  BBAE  20 :92) . 


76  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

the  ground.  He  looked  around,  there  was  the  water.  He  reached  across 
the  spring  and  supported  himself,  then  drank.  Right  there  Coyote  was 
lying  near  the  sun's  heart.  His  power  said,  "Grab  it !"  He  pulled  it,  bit 
it.  One  power  handed  him  the  little  knife  and  said,  "Cut  it!"  He  cut  it. 
Then  Sun  fell  down  and  died.  It  became  dark.  Then  all  the  Lndians 
said,  "Now  Coyote  has  murdered  someone." 

Coyote  went  off.  He  went  far,  far.  He  stumbled  over  Sun.  He  felt 
around.  "This  is  the  one  I  killed."  Every  time  he  stepped  he  stumbled 
over  the  body  it  was  so  dark.  Again  he  asked  his  powers  what  to  do. 
They  said,  "Put  down  that  thing  you  are  holding  in  your  hand."  He  put 
it  down.  It  became  light,  it  became  light. 

Similar  myths  are  found  in  the  mythology  of  the  Shuswap,  Thomp- 
son, Wishram,  Kutenai  and  Coast  Salish: 

The  Shuswap  and  Thompson  versions  correspond  closely  with  the  Coeur  d'Alene 
story  up  to  the  point  where  Coyote  escapes  from  the  antelope  with  the  disk,  which 
is  described  as  a  "glittering  ball."  Here  Coyote  turns  into  an  elk,  uses  fragments 
of  the  ball  as  armor  and  kills  many  people,  until  Meadowlark  intervenes ;  Coyote 
avenged  makes  his  escape  (MAM  4:642;  MAFLS  6:32;  MAM  4:313). 

In  the  Wishram  myth  Antelope's  two  sons  succeed  in  stealing  the  people's  shinny 
ball,  while  Coyote's  four  sons  and  one  daughter  are  killed;  Coyote  with  the  aid  of 
his  two  faeces  catches  the  Antelope  and  transforms  them  into  antelope  (PAES 
2:67). 

In  the  Kutenai  version  Young  Coyote  is  captured  while  stealing  the  people's  hoop, 
but  his  companion,  Young  Fox,  rolls  it  home  safely;  Old  Coyote  and  Fox  in  turn 
free  Young  Coyote.  Subsequently  Coyote  and  Young  Fox  lose  the  hoop  in  gambling 
with  Salmon;  Fox  and  Young  Coyote  win  it  back  (BBAE  59:143  and  cp.  this 
work,  tale  12). 

In  an  Upper  Chehalis  myth  Stehe'n's  grandchild  escapes  with  the  people's  shin- 
ing hoop  and  shares  it  with  his  grandfather;  the  five  Fox  children  are  killed 
(MAFLS  27:70).  In  the  Skokomish  version  Stuhe'n's  grandson  is  victorious 
(MAFLS  27 :369)  ;  in  the  Wynoochee  Stahe'n's  grandchild  wins  from  Coyote's 
four  sons  (MAFLS  27:345)  ;  and  in  the  case  of  the  Cowlitz  Coyote  Boy  obtains 
the  shining  hoop  although  Coyote's  five  sons  are  killed ;  Coyote  takes  the  hoop  up 
to  the  sky  as  the  sun  (MAFLS  27:230,  231).  The  Cowlitz  version  is  the  first 
instance  of  the  identification  of  the  stolen  shining  object  as  the  sun,  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  interpretation. 

A  parallel  to  the  Coeur  d'Alene  episode  of  Coyote's  contest  at  the 
spring  with  a  power  of  light  is  found  in  myths  of  Sahaptin  and  Nez 
Perce  origin  which  have  a  different  motivation : 

Moon's  son  kills  people  for  his  father  to  eat ;  Coyote  kills  Moon's  son  while  he  is 
drinking  at  the  spring  and  places  Moon  in  the  sky  (MAFLS  11:173-4). 


The  Myths  and  Tales  77 

4.  Coyote  Steals  his  Daughter-in-law 

Coyote's  son  has  two  wives,  Black  Swan  and  Tern;  Coyote  covets  Tern 

Coyote  with  help  of  powers  gets  his  son  into  the  sky 

Coyote  marries  Tern 

Coyote's  son  encounters  spiders 

Coyote's  son  kills  father  of  his  Beaver  wives,  revives  him 

Coyote's  son  becomes  homesick  for  Black  Swan  and  his  child 

Spider  Women  provide  box  for  his  return  to  earth 

Coyote's  son  finds  Black  Swan  far  from  camp  and  hides  in  her  pack 

Coyote's  son  kills  all  the  people  except  Black  Swan  and  her  child 

Coyote  had  a  house.  He  had  a  son  who  had  two  wives.  One  was  Tern, 
the  other  was  Black  Swan.1  The  latter  had  a  baby.  Tern  had  none. 
Everyone  liked  Swan,  no  one  liked  Tern.  Coyote  thought,  "I'll  be  the 
one  to  fall  in  love  with  Tern.  Black  Swan  is  really  black  and  ugly.  I 
must  find  some  way  to  do  away  with  my  son,  then  I  can  have  Tern  for 
myself." 

He  went  off  and  consulted  his  powers.  "What  can  I  do  so  that  my 
son  will  die?"  "Take  him  up  to  the  sky,"  said  one  power.  "I  will  be 
something  good  to  climb  up  on,"  said  the  second.  The  third  said,  "On 
the  tip  of  that  tree  I  will  be  an  eagle's  nest  in  which  there  are  two  desir- 
able small  eagles."  The  fourth  said,  "Keep  arching  your  brows  so  he 
ascends."  "All  right,"  said  Coyote  and  went  back  home.  He  said  to  his 
son,  "I  see  two  eagles  have  a  nest  in  the  top  of  the  pine  tree.  It  would 
be  nice  to  climb  up  for  them."  He  answered,  "Yes,  I'll  go  in  the  morn- 
ing." Coyote  said,  "All  right,  in  the  morning  we'll  go  for  them." 

They  went.  They  saw  the  young  eagles  were  just  about  large  enough 
to  fly.  The  boy  climbed  up.  He  looked  down  and  saw  his  father  lying 
on  his  back  and  raising  his  eyebrows.  "Why  are  you  doing  that?"  he 
asked.  "I  am  afraid  you  might  fall.  I  don't  mean  to  do  it  but  I  can't  help 
it  I  am  so  worried." 

He  really  did  it  because  it  made  his  son  rise  higher  each  time.  The  son 
rose  higher  and  higher  and  finally  went  right  into  the  sky.  Coyote  got 
up  and  went  back  into  his  son's  house.  He  said  to  Black  Swan,  "Go  far 
away.  Your  husband  left  because  of  you."  Thus  he  sent  her  away. 

He  said  to  his  children,  "Your  older  brother  has  gone  up.  You  will 
never  see  him  again."  Then  he  took  Tern  for  his  own  wife. 

The  son  found  the  sky  just  like  the  earth.  He  saw  an  elk  and  shot  it. 
He  butchered  it  and  dried  the  meat.  At  night  when  he  was  trying  to 
sleep  he  heard  people  talking.  He  understood  one  to  say,  "You  must 
have  seen  that  person.  You  defecate  on  people  so  you  can  eat."  The 

*The  Coeur  d'Alene  say  that  long  ago  black  swans  were  numerous  in  their 
country. 


78  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

other  answered,  "You  must  have  seen  an  elk.  I  suppose  you  would  defe- 
cate on  him  so  you  can  eat."  The  older  of  the  two  brothers  ate  game,  the 
younger  ate  people.  (They  may  have  killed  them  by  defecating  on  them.) 

Each  one  of  these  people  had  a  cane  on  which  was  tied  a  bone  of  each 
individual  he  had  killed.  One  cane  had  elk  bones,  the  other  had  human 
bones.  Then  he  heard  them  fight  with  canes.  One  was  poking  the  other 
into  the  ground  with  a  cane.  Coyote's  son  arrived  there.  The  older  was 
a  spiderlike  animal  with  very  long  legs  who  said  to  Coyote's  son,  "My 
younger  brother,  gave  me  that  elk  over  there.  I  will  protect  you.  Go  take 
everything  that  is  good.  He  will  covet  it.  When  I  get  there  we  will  fight. 
Just  as  I  catch  hold  you  must  say,  'Chop  my  leg  off,  my  daughter's 
child.'  Take  a  stick  and  put  it  by  your  leg.  Then  I  will  say  to  you, 
'Chop  my  leg !'  Then  run  around  as  if  it  hurt.  I  will  say  it  again  and  this 
time  we  will  really  chop  his  leg." 

So  the  spider  ran  and  ate  the  meat.  His  companion  was  jealous  of 
him.  Coyote's  son  went  off.  He  stood  under  a  tree.  It  was  raining  hard. 
He  put  his  quiver  under  his  blanket  to  keep  it  dry.  He  heard  women 
laughing,  "ha  ha  ha,  Beaver's  older  sister  is  going  down  creek,  ha  ha  ha, 
Beaver's  younger  sister  is  going  up  creek."1  He  heard  "p'atcetcetce," 
the  sound  of  beaver  being  clubbed  with  a  stick.  They  said,  "Oh !  He  is 
wet,  our  husband." 

They  came  straight  toward  Coyote's  son  and  stood  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  tree.  Then  they  said,  "Go !  You  are  wet.  Let's  go  now." 
There  were  four  women  beavers  and  each  was  carrying  two  beavers. 
Coyote's  son  went  with  them.  They  came  to  a  house  and  all  went  in. 
The  women  were  beavers  and  they  all  ate  beaver. 

The  next  day  Coyote's  son  went  hunting.  He  shot  a  deer  and  went 
on  looking  for  another.  He  shot  the  second  but  when  he  had  butchered 
it  and  returned  for  the  first  it  was  gone.  There  was  nothing  but  blood 
sprinkled  over  the  ground.  He  came  back  to  the  house,  "Ah !  He  killed 
a  deer,  our  husband.  Ah !  Ah !" 

The  beaver  woman  were  glad  to  have  the  deer.  He  said,  "I  killed  two 
but  when  I  came  back  for  the  first  it  was  gone."  They  said  nothing  but 
smiled. 

The  next  day  he  went  again.  After  he  had  shot  the  first  deer  he  hid 
to  watch  it.  Soon  Long  Legs  came.  He  could  see  that  Long  Legs'  body 
was  small  and  round.  He  cut  up  the  deer  and  ate  it.  Coyote's  son  shot 
him  and  he  died.  He  shot  a  second  deer  and  took  it  home.  The  women 
were  very  quiet,  it  looked  as  if  they  had  been  crying.  They  would  not 
cook  the  deer  so  he  cooked  it  himself.  He  took  off  his  moccasins.  He 

XA  common  Coeur  d'Alene  saying  which  indicates  that  something  important  is 
about  to  happen. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  79 

offered  them  something  to  eat.  Just  one  ate  with  him.  The  rest  turned 
their  backs.  He  said,  "I  killed  that  long-legged  fellow,  the  one  with 
the  small  head." 

Then  the  women  burst  out  crying,  "It  was  our  father  you  killed," 
they  said.  "Why  didn't  you  tell  me?  I  told  you  something  ate  my  kill. 
You  didn't  say  a  word.  Why  didn't  you  say,  'It  is  our  father?'  Stop 
crying  now.  He  will  live  again." 

He  put  on  his  moccasins,  dressed  himself  and  went  out.  He  found 
Long  Legs  all  sprawled  out.  He  stepped  over  him.  Slowly  he  got  up. 
"Ha  ha,  my  son-in-law,"  he  said.  "When  I  said  something  had  eaten 
my  kill  your  children  did  not  tell  me  it  was  you."  "Ha,  didn't  you  know 
I  saved  you  that  time  you  killed  the  elk.  You  were  just  going  to  be 
eaten  by  Spider's  brother  but  I  saved  you.  Now  I  am  going.  Follow  me." 

They  went  hunting.  They  killed  many  deer.  When  they  came  home 
the  women  were  happy  again.  This  time  they  cooked.  "You  should  have 
told  me  that  was  your  father.  I  would  not  have  killed  him,"  said  Coyote's 
son  again. 

The  next  day  when  he  went  hunting  he  killed  two  deer  but  left  one 
for  his  father-in-law.  Although  he  had  children  with  the  beaver  women 
he  began  to  be  homesick  for  Black  Swan  and  her  child.  He  lay  down 
and  covered  himself  with  his  blanket.  The  children  came  to  play  in  his 
lap.  "Don't  do  that,"  said  the  women,  "there's  a  hole  in  his  moccasin 
near  the  big  toe.1  Your  father  is  homesick  for  Black  Swan." 

He  got  up  and  went  out.  He  wondered  what  to  do  to  get  back  to 
Black  Swan  again.  He  went  far.  He  came  to  a  house  where  he  heard 
someone  talking,  "Ludidi,  ludidi!"  He  went  in.  An  old  woman  sat  on 
each  side  of  the  fire.  They  were  feeling  around  on  the  floor  and  arguing, 
"Ludidi,  it  is  mine."  "Ludidi,  no,  it  started  on  my  side." 

They  were  talking  about  a  stalk  of  hemp  grass  which  grew  under- 
ground from  the  side  of  one  to  the  other.  Coyote's  son  said,  "You  are 
my  father's  mothers.  Show  me  how  to  get  back."  They  remained  silent. 
He  said,  "I'll  pay  you  all  my  clothes."  They  did  not  even  look  at  him. 
They  kept  on  spinning.  He  said,  "I'll  give  each  of  you  a  sack  of  meat." 
They  paid  no  attention.  "I'll  give  you  hemp."  Then  they  said,  "You  are 
our  grandson."  "I  have  been  trying  to  talk  to  you  a  long  time."  "You 
talk  as  if  we  wore  clothes.  This  rope  stuff  is  what  interests  us."  He 
said  to  them,  "Is  it  all  in  one  piece?  There  is  just  one  measure  for  each 
of  you." 

They  took  a  box  and  put  him  in  it.  It  had  a  lid.  They  directed  him, 
"Four  times  you  will  stop  before  you  get  to  earth.  When  you  get  to  land 

*An  unkind  expression  signifying  jealousy  because  a  man  is  longing  for  another 
woman. 


80  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

you  will  hear  grass  blowing.  Then  get  out.  Every  time  you  stop  before 
that  roll  around,  then  the  box  will  start  again.  Every  time  it  falls,  close 
the  lid  again." 

The  box  started  to  fall.  It  stopped.  He  rolled  from  side  to  side  and  it 
fell  again.1  Four  times  this  happened.  Then  it  reached  the  earth.  Coyote's 
son  heard  grass  blowing.  He  opened  the  box.  There  was  the  earth.  He 
got  out,  put  the  lid  on  the  box,  pulled  the  spider  rope  and  it  went  up 
again.  He  walked  away.  "There's  where  our  house  used  to  be.  It's  gone 
now." 

He  saw  traces  of  his  father's  camp.  Near  it  he  made  a  little  fire.  He  saw 
the  people  when  they  moved  from  there.  His  wife  was  carrying  the  house 
of  reeds,  and  the  baby  sat  on  top  of  it.  When  he  came  near  the  baby 
looked  back  and  said,  "ba  bd."  It  was  baby  talk  for  "papa."  His  mother 
said,  "Long  ago  your  father  went  to  the  sky."  Nevertheless  it  kept  on. 
Then  she  looked  back  and  saw  her  husband.  She  said  to  him,  "It  is 
pitiful  the  way  we  are  treated.  Your  father  sent  me  away.  He  took 
Tern  for  his  wife.  He  made  me  camp  far  away."  Her  husband  said,  "I 
am  going  to  kill  him." 

She  said,  "Every  time  I  come  close  to  the  camp  he  says,  'Go  far!' 
Perhaps  you  saw  how  far  my  fire  was  from  the  people's  camp."  He 
said,  "Carry  me  with  your  pack.  When  you  get  to  his  house  set  the  house 
mats  and  me  along  with  them  against  the  wall  of  his  house."  "No,  they 
will  kill  me."  "Don't  be  afraid.  Put  me  down  and  untie  the  pack  quickly." 

She  obeyed  him.  When  they  came  close  the  people  told  her  to  go  far 
away.  She  kept  coming  closer.  She  put  him  down  and  untied  the  pack. 
Coyote  said,  "What  do  you  mean  by  following  us?  Didn't  we  leave  be- 
cause of  you?" 

Slowly  his  son  got  up.  Coyote  saw  him.  Then  he  began  to  cry,  "This 
is  the  way  we  take  pity  on  your  wife." 

The  son  took  a  stick  and  clubbed  Coyote,  Tern,  his  brothers  and  his 
mother.  His  mother  said,  "It  isn't  my  fault.  I  didn't  want  to  treat  her 
like  that." 

However  he  was  merciless  and  he  allowed  only  Black  Swan  and  his 
child  to  live.  The  three  lived  there. 

That  is  the  end  of  the  road. 

This  myth  has  a  wide  distribution.  Each  of  the  variants  listed  below, 
with  the  exception  of  those  of  the  Thompson  (MAFLS  6:21;  MAM 
12 :205,  296;  IS  17),  lacks  the  account  of  the  young  man's  adventures  in 
the  sky;  in  the  majority  of  cases  he  is  marooned  on  a  high  rock  until 

1  There  is  no  indication  of  a  taboo  in  this  story.  It  is  merely  the  way  the  spiders 
move,  as  Julia  says,  "Like  an  elevator,"  making  four  regular  stops. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  81 

help  comes  to  him.  Otherwise  the  myths  are  identical  with  that  of  the 
Coeur  d'Alene  except  for  minor  variations. 

Southern  Puget  Sound.  Coyote's  son's  wives  are  two  faithful  mourning  doves  and 
two  spawn  of  male  salmon ;  Coyote's  son  takes  back  his  wives ;  Coyote,  shamed  by 
his  son,  drifts  downstream  (UWPA  3:147). 

Southern  Puget  Sound.  Coyote's  son's  wives  are  two  faithful  ring  doves  and  two 
sawbill  ducks;  Coyote's  powers,  who  assist  him  in  getting  his  son  marooned,  are 
identified  as  his  sisters  in  his  stomach,  in  the  form  of  berries;  when  caught  in  the 
river,  Coyote  floats  downstream,  his  two  stolen  wives  become  sawbill  ducks 
(UWPA  3:145). 

Sahaptin.  Coyote's  son's  two  wives  are  faithful  Beetle  and  Duck;  Coyote's  son 
meets  obstacles  five  times  in  his  descent  in  a  spoon  lowered  on  ropes  by  the  sky 
people;  Duck  becomes  a  duck;  Old  Coyote  is  shamed  by  his  son  (MAFLS  11 :135, 
137,  138). 

Nes  Perce.  Young  Coyote's  wives  are  faithful  Black  Cricket  and  White  Swan; 
upon  Young  Coyote's  return  White  Swan  dives  into  the  water  to  remain  wild  for- 
ever; Young  Coyote  becomes  hunting  chief  again;  he  separates  Coyote  from  home 
by  five  valleys;  Coyote  drifts  downstream  (CUCA  25:376). 

Wasco.  Eagle  has  four  wives,  two  of  whom  are  faithful  to  him;  Old  Thunder 
splits  the  rock  on  which  Eagle  is  marooned ;  Eagle  revenges  himself  on  Old  Coyote, 
who  drifts  down  to  the  ocean  (PAES  2:264). 

Chilcotin.  An  old  man  is  jealous  of  a  young  man's  two  wives  (MAM  4:29). 

Shuswap.  Coyote's  son  (or  nephew)  has  two  (one)  wives;  Bush-tailed  Rat  and 
Mouse  (Spider  Woman  and  Mouse  Woman)  by  singing  reduce  the  size  of  the 
rock  on  which  young  Coyote  is  marooned ;  Coyote's  son  and  his  younger  wife  part 
company  with  his  father  (MAM  4:622,  737). 

Columbia  River.  Coyote's  powers  are  identified  as  four  small  objects  he  carries 
under  his  arm ;  Coyote's  son  causes  a  flood  in  which  his  faithless,  fair-skinned  wife 
becomes  a  swan;  Coyote  floats  downstream  (Idaho  Farmer,  Aug.  7,  1930). 

Cowlitz.  Coyote's  son  has  four  wives,  two  with  white  legs  whom  Coyote  covets ; 
Coyote's  son  causes  a  flood  in  which  his  two  faithless  wives  become  mice;  Coyote 
floats  downstream  (MAFLS  27:243). 

Thompson.  Coyote's  son  has  two  wives,  Loon  and  Mallard  Duck;  in  the  sky 
Coyote's  son  is  attacked  by  baskets,  mats,  awls,  combs,  and  birchbark  vessels,  each 
of  which  he  reduces  to  harmless  servants  of  man  (cp.  tale  1  of  this  work)  ;  he 
transforms  two  blind  women  (partridges)  who  insult  him  into  a  foolhen  and  a 
ruffed  grouse ;  back  on  earth  he  collects  all  the  deer  for  his  faithful  wife  and  him- 
self while  the  other  people  starve;  Raven's  children  are  discovered  quarreling  over 
the  fat  which  Raven  obtained  from  him  and  the  people  return  (cp.  tale  9),  they 
are  restored  to  plenty;  Coyote,  tricked  by  his  son,  is  carried  downstream. 


82  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

The  action  continues  into  the  tale  of  the  Salmon  Release  (see  tale  8)  in  the 
versions  from  Southern  Puget  Sound,  Nes  Perce,  Wasco,  Columbia  River  and 
Cowlitz.  In  the  Ntlakyapanmq  variant  Coyote,  adopted  as  a  slave  by  four  women, 
releases  fog  and  wasps  (IS  7). 

The  element  of  the  individual's  homesickness  for  the  earth  while  he 
is  in  the  sky  country  and  his  return  home  (accompanied  by  his  sky  rela- 
tives), usually  through  the  medium  of  the  spider's  rope,  common  to  the 
above  myths,  finds  analogies  in  the  following  otherwise  unrelated  stories : 

Wasco.  The  boy  who  married  Sun's  daughter  (PAES  2:306). 

Lower  Fraser  River.  The  children  of  Sun's  daughter  who  wish  to  visit  their 
great-grandparents  (IS  40). 

Kwakiutl.  The  wife  of  Food  Giver  (MAM  5:52). 

Tlingit.  A  man  and  his  wife  carried  off  to  the  sky  (BBAE  39:251). 

Chilcotin.  Two  sisters  flee  to  the  sky  to  escape  from  their  husband,  Skunk  (they 
are  lowered  in  a  basket  by  an  old  sky  woman)    (MAM  4:29). 

In  a  Thompson  myth  Spider's  thread  is  too  weak  to  help  a  man  down  from  the 
upper  world  to  the  world  below  to  visit  his  brother  and  Crow  advises  the  man  in 
a  dream  to  jump  through  a  hole,  roll  over  upon  hitting  an  obstacle,  and  jump  again, 
which  the  man  is  obliged  to  do  four  times  before  opening  his  eyes  in  the  lower 
world  (MAFLS  6:78). 

An  analogue  to  the  sky  encounters  of  Coyote's  son  is  found  in  a 
Kathlamet  story: 

A  boy  in  the  sky  meets  a  man-eater,  Evening  Star  whose  house  is  filled  with 
human  bones  and  eyes,  and  a  mountain  goat  hunter,  Morning  Star  with  whom  he 
stays  as  son-in-law  until  he  becomes  homesick  and  is  lowered  to  earth  with  his 
family  (BBAE  26:13). 

In  an  Upper  Chehalis  myth  a  young  man,  who  has  escaped  up  a  tree  from  his 
captor,  Lion,  climbs  up  to  the  sky,  encounters  Evening  who  kills  deer  and  men  for 
food,  is  rescued  by  Dawn's  daughters  and,  accompanied  by  his  family,  is  lowered 
to  earth  by  Spider  (MAFLS  27:83). 

In  Nes  Perce  mythology  a  man,  offended  by  his  brother,  climbs  a  tree  in  pursuit 
of  a  pheasant;  while  his  bear  stands  below  winking,  the  tree  grows  ever  taller, 
until  the  climber  disappears  into  the  sky  (CUCA  25  :163 ;  cp.  also  Sahaptin  MAFLS 
11:158). 


The  Myths  and  Tales  83 

A  Sanpoil  myth  opens  with  the  Coeur  d'Alene  setting  though  the 
story  is  developed  along  different  lines : 

A  younger  brother,  who  covets  his  elder  brother's  wife,  sends  his  older  brother 
for  eagle  feathers  and  maroons  him  on  a  cliff;  the  older  brother  fastens  eagles  to 
himself  which  carry  him  to  safety;  he  leaves  his  wife  with  his  brother  and  goes  to 
his  uncle  (JAFL  46:148). 

A  list  of  myths  of  the  Coyote-Coyote's  son  cycle,  extending  over  a 
wider  territory  than  has  been  covered  by  this  study,  may  be  found  in 
MAFLS  11:120,  footnote  1. 

5.  Little  Beaver 

Grizzly  Bear  with  the  help  of  false  Coyote  kills  Coyote's  four  sons 

Coyote  adopts  Little  Beaver 

Little  Beaver  is  trained  for  revenge 

Little  Beaver  kills  Grizzly 

Coyote's  powers  help  him  kill  Grizzly's  family 

Coyote  disguised  as  pestle  seduces  Grizzly's  daughter 

Coyote  had  a  house.  He  had  four  children.  The  oldest  went  to  visit 
Grizzly  Bear  who  lived  on  a  hill  nearby.  There  was  a  Coyote  who  had 
turned  against  his  own  tribe  and  had  made  himself  an  ally  of  Grizzly 
Bear  near  whom  he  lived.  Every  time  he  saw  someone  coming  he  cried, 
"Go  under  the  hill,  not  across  the  top."  If  they  did  so  Grizzly  could 
easily  come  out  and  capture  them.  He  would  then  run  out  and  claw 
and  bite  the  visitor  to  death. 

When  the  son  of  the  true  Coyote  came  to  visit  Grizzly  gave  him 
something  so  hard  to  eat  that  it  made  all  his  teeth  come  out.  As  he 
went  home  he  followed  the  traitor's  advice  and  went  under  the  hill. 
Then  Grizzly  killed  him.  The  same  thing  happened  to  Coyote's  other 
three  sons. 

For  a  long  time  he  mourned.  Suddenly  he  stopped  and  went  to  the 
river  where  he  sat  down  on  the  shore.  In  the  water  he  saw  a  little 
beaver.  He  said  to  him,  "Come  over  and  stay  with  me  because  I  am 
lonesome.  Then  I  can  see  you  around  my  place.  Go  ask  your  mother." 
Little  Beaver  paid  no  attention.  Coyote  said,  "Do  you  hear?"  but  he 
did  not  answer. 

Then  he  disappeared.  Coyote  started  to  cry  and  kept  it  up  a  long 
time.  Then  he  went  back  to  his  house  and  lay  down.  Someone  came  in. 
It  was  Little  Beaver's  mother.  Coyote  was  covered  up  with  his  blanket. 
She  asked  him,  "Are  you  asleep?"  "No."  "You  wanted  my  little  one  to 
come  to  live  with  you.  I  came  over  to  talk  over  the  matter  with  you." 


84  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

"Yes.  I  would  like  to  have  him.  I  can't  help  being  so  lonesome."  "All 
right,  he  may  come,  but  he  is  very  greedy.  You  will  have  to  chop  trees 
for  him  to  eat."  "All  right,"  said  Coyote. 

She  went  home  and  came  back  with  an  ax.  Coyote  began  to  chop.  A 
tree  fell.  Before  he  could  chop  another  Little  Beaver  had  eaten  it.  All 
day  long  he  chopped  and  he  was  never  even  a  tree  ahead.  At  night  the 
Little  Beaver  played  around  in  the  house,  and  he  was  so  cute  Coyote 
had  to  laugh  at  him.  The  next  day  and  the  next  Coyote  was  busy  chopping 
food  for  his  adopted  child.  After  some  days  of  this  he  thought,  "My,  you 
are  a  greedygut !"  He  cut  another  tree.  It  lay  there.  He  looked  around 
for  Little  Beaver  but  he  was  gone.  Then  Coyote  was  sorry.  He  went 
home,  lay  down  and  covered  himself  up  with  his  blanket  and  cried. 

Mother  Beaver  came  in.  "Are  you  asleep?"  she  inquired.  "No."  "My 
child  came  home  because  you  called  him  greedy."  "I  just  said  that  for 
fun.  I  like  him.  He  plays  around  and  then  I  feel  happy.  Then  and  then 
only  can  I  laugh."  She  said,  "All  right,  if  you  chop  enough  for  him  to 
eat  he  will  come  back  to  you.  I  am  going  to  avenge  the  death  of  your 
children."  "All  right." 

The  next  day  Coyote  took  up  his  ax  again  and  Little  Beaver  devoured 
trees  faster  than  he  could  cut.  For  about  a  month  he  did  this.  Finally 
there  were  only  small  branches  left.  In  about  two  days  all  these  were 
gone.  Little  Beaver  said,  "I  am  going  back  to  my  mother."  "All  right, 
go  on  home." 

When  he  got  back  he  was  a  man.  His  mother  dressed  his  hair  to 
show  he  was  grown  up.  She  combed  it  and  braided  it,  then  she  folded 
it  up  behind,  tied  it  and  stuck  his  arrowpoints  in  it.  Then  she  split  in 
two  the  toe  next  to  the  small  one  and  advised  him,  "When  you  go  in  to 
the  place  where  Coyote's  children  were  killed  they  will  give  you  some- 
thing hard  to  eat.  You  will  see  the  marks  of  teeth  in  it.  They  will  be 
the  marks  of  Coyote's  poor  children.  The  one  who  gives  it  to  you  is 
Grizzly  Bear,  he  killed  Coyote's  children.  Go  now." 

Little  Beaver  went  into  the  old  man's  house  and  sat  down.  He  gave 
him  the  hard  food.  The  toothmarks  of  Coyote's  children  were  in  it  and 
said,  xat'at'at'a  as  he  ate  it.  Nevertheless  he  was  able  to  eat  it  all  up 
because  he  had  eaten  so  many  trees.  The  old  Grizzly  said,  "You  are 
not  afraid  of  us."  Then  he  went  out. 

Then  the  false  Coyote  began  to  cry,  "He's  lying  down."  That  was  his 
sign  to  the  Grizzlies.  Little  Beaver  jumped  up.  He  stepped  into  the 
fire  and  caught  a  hot  coal  in  his  cleft  toe.  He  took  this  so  he  could  melt 
pitch  to  fasten  his  arrowpoints.  He  ran  toward  the  canyon  and  over  a 
cliff.  Then  he  sat  down  to  fix  his  arrows.  He  took  the  points  out  of  his 
hair.  He  blew  the  coal,  melted  the  pitch  and  fastened  the  points  to  the 


The  Myths  and  Tales  85 

shaft.  Four  times  he  did  this  and  ran  back.  The  false  Coyote  called  to 
him,  "Look  out,  he'll  claw  you  and  bite  you.  Don't  run  on  top  of  the 
hill,  run  underneath,"  but  Little  Beaver  went  along  the  top  of  the  hill, 
shot  Grizzly  Bear  and  killed  him. 

He  cut  off  Grizzly's  paws  and  took  them  out.  Grizzly's  relatives  began 
to  cry.  "Keep  quiet,"  said  Coyote,  "he'll  be  back."  Little  Beaver  strung 
the  four  paws  on  a  stick,  came  back  and  threw  them  into  the  fire  saying 
"Take  them,  you  can  go  defecate  on  them."1 

Then  he  ran  and  they  chased  him.  "Oyurayura.  .  .  ."  he  went  fast. 
They  caught  up  with  him.  He  jumped  into  the  water.  They  looked  in 
vain  for  him.  He  had  gone  into  his  hole.  He  went  in,  through  his  tunnel 
under  the  river  and  out  the  other  side  into  Coyote's  house.  He  said,  "I 
killed  the  one  who  murdered  your  children,  get  ready  to  save  yourself." 

Little  Beaver  ran  out.  Coyote  took  out  his  powers  and  consulted  them. 
His  first  power  said,  "I  will  be  a  bear-trap,  get  me  ready."  The  second 
said,  'I  will  be  the  bait,  I'll  be  fat  for  you  to  put  in  the  trap."  The  third 
gave  him  an  arrow.  The  fourth  told  him  to  lie  there  as  if  he  were  dead 
with  his  fur  full  of  maggots. 

Grizzly's  father  started  after  the  enemy.  He  came  to  Coyote's  house 
saying,  "I'm  going  to  kill  Coyote."  When  he  got  there  he  said,  "I'm 
going  to  bite  you  to  death."  He  saw  a  trap  baited  with  fat.  He  saw 
Coyote  lying  there  swarming  with  maggots.  "I  am  going  to  bite  you,"  he 
threatened.  "Go  on,  bite  me !" 

The  bear  tried  to  bite  Coyote  but  his  nose  got  stuffed  with  maggots. 
His  teeth  were  all  loose.  "I  won't  bite  him  now,  he's  dying  already,"  he 
said  as  he  went  out.  On  the  way  out  the  grease  in  the  trap  attracted  him. 
He  reached  farther  and  farther  in  until  his  head  was  in  the  trap,  then 
still  farther  until  he  was  in  up  to  his  waist.  The  trap  fell. 

Coyote  sang,  " Axoiya  xoiya  xoiya,  aunties,  our  trap  caught  him."  He 
jumped  up,  the  maggots  were  all  gone.  He  was  well.  His  aunties,  the 
mice,  ran  and  picked  up  rocks  to  throw  at  Grizzly.  "Don't  do  that," 
he  begged.  Coyote  took  an  arrow  from  his  quiver  and  stuck  it  crosswise 
in  Grizzly's  throat.  His  aunties  threw  the  rocks  down  his  throat.  He  died. 

They  cut  off  his  head.  Coyote  took  a  stick  and  propped  the  mouth 
open  with  it,  then  he  climbed  up  and  put  the  head  on  the  house  poles. 
He  fixed  the  trap  again  and  lay  down.  Grizzly's  mother  now  came  and 
acted  just  as  her  husband  had,  and  she  was  caught  in  the  trap  the  same 
way.  Coyote  set  her  head  on  the  house  poles. 

Grizzly's  daughter  ran  out  for  revenge  when  she  saw  the  heads  of  her 
father  and  mother.  She  said,  "I  am  going  to  get  you,  Coyote,  I  will  bite 
you.  I  am  going  to  eat  your  flesh  and  bones.  Nothing  will  be  left  of  you. 

1  Almost  certainly  a  phrase  taken  from  the  Whites. 


86  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

You  are  an  ugly  thing."  She  came  close  to  him.  He  ran  and  she  chased 
him.  He  looked  back  and  laughed.  "You  are  very  young."  She  said,  "I 
am  going  to  bite  you  no  matter  how  far  you  go." 

He  went  over  the  hill.  She  followed  but  he  was  gone.  She  saw  his 
tracks,  but  as  she  was  looking  for  them  she  saw  a  pestle  lying  there.  She 
thought,  "I  will  take  it  with  me."  She  put  it  under  her  dress.  It  moved 
around.  She  was  running  aimlessly.  She  thought,  "It  must  be  this  pestle 
that  is  making  me  run  this  way."  She  threw  it  away.  As  she  ran  on 
Coyote  called  to  her,  "Ha  ha  ha,  your  belly  is  getting  big,  you  are  going 
to  have  a  baby." 

Coyote  had  turned  himself  into  a  pestle  and  had  impregnated  her. 
She  kept  on  saying,  "I  am  going  to  bite  you."  Coyote  kept  on  taunting 
her. 

That  is  all.  The  end  of  the  road. 

An  analogous  myth,  in  which  Coyote's  youngest  son  takes  the  place 
of  Little  Beaver,  is  to  be  found  in  Okanagon  mythology : 

Grizzly  Bear  kills  Coyote's  two  older  sons;  the  youngest  Coyote  shoots  Grizzly's 
daughter;  Coyote  escapes  from  Grizzly  by  a  ruse  and  drowns  him  (MAFLS  11 :79). 

6.  Coyote  Devours  His  Own  Children 

Coyote  shoots  his  neighbor,  Deer 

Coyote  pretends  to  doctor  Deer  and  kills  him 

Coyote  kills  Deer's  wife  and  child 

Coyote  kills  his  own  sons,  spares  his  daughter 

Coyote  kills  goose  and  eats  it  all  while  daughter  hungers 

Coyote's  wife,  Mole,  saves  their  daughter 

Coyote  gets  a  noise  in  his  head 

Coyote  and  Deer  were  neighbors.  Deer  had  two  children,  Coyote  had 
five,  four  sons  and  a  daughter.  Coyote  used  to  go  away  every  morning 
and  come  back  at  night.  Deer  left  at  night  and  returned  just  before 
sunrise.  Coyote  wondered  why  Deer  was  always  away  at  night,  so  one 
time  he  followed  him.  He  saw  him  stop  at  a  little  gulch  and  eat.  He  saw 
he  was  eating  dirt.  Coyote  thought,  "I'll  kill  him."  He  got  his  arrow 
ready,  but  left  it  to  dry.  Then  he  warned  Deer,  "Don't  travel  at  night, 
now  that  the  moon  is  shining.  You  might  be  killed." 

Deer  did  not  answer,  and  he  did  not  heed  the  warning.  Coyote  took 
his  arrow  and  went  to  Deer's  grazing  ground.  He  made  a  brush  house 
in  which  he  waited  for  Deer.  Deer  came  and  licked  the  dirt  like  meat. 
Coyote  shot  him  in  the  entrails,  whereupon  Deer  ran  home  with  Coyote 
after  him.  Coyote  arrived  home  first  and  blew  ashes  over  Deer's  blanket 


The  Myths  and  Tales  87 

so  it  would  look  as  if  he  had  been  there  a  long  time.  Deer  ran  into  his 
house,  blew  up  the  fire  and  groaned.  Then  Mole,  Coyote's  wife,  heard  it 
"hi  hi  hi!"  "Someone  is  suffering,"  she  cried.  "Oh,  stop  prowling  around 
in  the  night,"  said  Coyote. 

She  got  up  and  made  a  fire,  then  went  in  to  Deer.  "Where  is  it?  Let 
me  look  at  it."  "Here  it  is,  the  arrow  is  still  sticking  in,"  said  Coyote 
who  had  followed  her.  He  pretended  he  was  pulling  it  out  but  kept  push- 
ing it  back  and  forth  in  the  wound.  Then  he  told  Mole  to  make  a  fire  in 
the  sweathouse.  She  said,  "Halalas,  what  is  the  matter?  It  will  be  too 
hot."  "Don't  answer  me  back,  go  do  as  I  say." 

Mole  was  obliged  to  make  the  fire.  Coyote  took  Deer  into  the  sweat- 
house.  Then  as  Coyote  pulled  out  the  arrow  he  sucked  Deer's  fat.  "Be 
careful,"  said  Mole.  "You  shut  up !"  ordered  Coyote. 

Soon  Deer  died.  His  wife  cried.  Coyote  told  her  to  be  quiet.  After  a 
little  while  he  said,  "I  will  fix  your  hair  in  widow's  style."  He  took  a 
knife.  "Don't  cry  now.  Put  your  head  up." 

He  lifted  up  her  braids  and  cut  off  her  head.  She  died.  Then  Coyote 
took  a  stick  and  killed  one  of  the  Deer  Children.  The  other  deer  ran  off. 
Coyote  butchered  the  deer  and  took  the  meat  to  his  house.  He  said  to 
Mole,  "Get  out  of  my  way.  You  might  spoil  my  hunting  luck." 

She  went  out  and  made  her  own  fire.  She  cooked  and  the  children  all 
ate  but  she  herself  ate  nothing.  This  went  on  for  some  days.  Then  there 
was  nothing  but  blood  left.  Coyote  said  to  his  eldest  son,  Raven  Head, 
"Go  get  some  camas.  We'll  mix  it  with  blood." 

There  were  only  two  camas  in  the  sack.  "It  is  because  Mole  ate  them 
all.  Your  mother  is  a  greedy  thing." 

Coyote  went  himself  and  looked,  but  the  sack  was  full  of  dirt  and 
only  two  camas  were  there.  He  was  very  angry,  "Now  you  are  going  to 
die,  you  Mole." 

He  hunted  a  stick  and  went  out  to  where  she  had  been  sitting,  but  she 
was  not  there.  She  had  gone  into  her  hole.  He  put  his  hand  in  but  could 
not  reach  her.  He  cooked  the  blood.  Then  there  was  nothing  to  eat. 
Coyote  said  to  his  youngest  son,  "Come  here."  He  began  to  delouse 
him.  He  bit  him  in  the  back  of  the  neck  pretending  it  was  a  louse.  He 
died.  Coyote  cried,  "Ha  ha  ha,  Chief  Raven  Head  died."  Then  he  said 
to  his  children,  "I  guess  we'll  have  to  eat  him." 

So  they  ate  Coyote's  own  child.  He  deloused,  killed  and  ate  the  other 
three  sons  in  the  same  way.  Only  the  little  daughter  was  left.  Coyote 
said,  "I  won't  kill  you.  You  are  pitiable.  Come,  I'll  carry  you.  Let's 
look  for  mama." 

He  went  along  carrying  his  child.  Suddenly  he  heard  a  wild  goose 
way  up  in  the  air.  Coyote  looked  up.  He  said,  "I  told  you  all  I  need  to 
do  is  to  look  at  them  and  all  cultivated  people  die." 


88  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

He  went  on.  The  geese  came  closer,  "uxapxapxapapap"  they  flapped 
around  him.  He  looked  at  them.  They  died.  "Ha !  Now  we'll  have  plenty 
to  eat,  daughter."  The  geese  lay  all  around.  "Oh,  that's  fine.  We'll  eat 
now."  He  went  to  get  cedar  bark  to  make  a  bucket.  The  baby  said,  "Oh 
dadd,  the  gooses  gone !"  He  hushed  her  up.  "They  know  you  have  no 
mother."  He  was  making  the  bucket  of  bark  when  she  lisped  again, 
"dadd,  the  gooses  going." 

Then  Coyote  looked  up  and  saw  the  child  had  hold  of  the  goose's  leg 
and  the  goose  was  flying  off.  "I  won't  let  go,"  she  cried. 

Coyote  ran  right  under  the  goose  and  grabbed  her.  Then  he  killed  the 
goose.  It  was  the  only  one  left.  He  made  a  bucket  in  which  he  cooked  it. 
He  gave  the  head  to  the  girl.  He  ate  every  bit  and  even  drank  the  broth. 
Then  he  saw  the  girl  crying  as  she  was  eating  the  head.  "Give  it  to  me, 
I'll  fix  it  for  you."  He  took  it  away  from  her  and  ate  it  all.  She  kept  on 
crying  "Come !  Let  me  carry  you.  We'll  look  for  mama." 

After  they  had  gone  a  long  way  they  saw  a  woman  who  was  wearing 
a  red  dress1  digging  camas.  He  said,  "There's  your  mother,"  and  to  the 
woman,  "All  our  children  are  dead." 

She  did  not  even  turn  her  head.  He  came  closer  and  repeated,  "All 
your  children  are  dead."  Still  nearer  he  repeated  it  but  she  kept  right 
on  digging.  Then  suddenly  she  darted  into  her  hole.  Coyote  peered  in. 
There  he  saw  all  four  sons  eating.  "Why  didn't  you  let  me  know?  All 
this  time  I  have  been  mourning  my  sons.  Make  the  door  bigger  so  we 
can  come  in.  We  are  hungry."  "Give  me  the  little  girl  first." 

He  handed  the  baby  in  to  Mole.  Then  the  hole  became  smaller  and 
smaller.  When  it  was  just  big  enough  for  his  eye  to  peer  through  he  saw 
his  little  daughter  eating  as  if  she  were  starved.  Coyote  called,  "I'm 
hungry  too.  Give  me  something  to  eat." 

They  kept  right  on  eating  and  paid  no  attention  to  him.  Gradually 
the  hole  closed.  Then  said  Coyote  to  himself,  "I'll  sleep  here.  I'll  put 
my  ear  down  and  I  can  at  least  hear  them.  The  noise  is  as  comforting 
as  if  I  myself  were  eating." 

He  fell  asleep.  Mole,  hearing  nothing,  looked  up.  She  saw  his  ear 
was  right  over  the  hole.  She  took  her  pans  (?)  and  threw  them  in  his 
ear.  When  he  woke  up  he  said  to  himself,  "That's  right,  I  was  listening. 
I'll  look  in  again." 

He  heard  "ola'u  ola'u"  in  his  ear.  He  wondered  what  it  was.  He  tried 
to  shake  it  out.  It  kept  on.  He  said,  "Oh,  my !  I  have  a  nice  noise  in  my 

1  When  Mole  was  home  she  wore  gray  but  when  she  went  out  to  dig  camas  she 
wore  a  red  dress.  "Just  as  soon  as  she  leaves  me  she  dresses  up,"  complained  Coyote 
whenever  he  saw  her  so. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  89 

head.  When  I  get  to  a  celebration  I  will  be  called,  'The  One  with  the 
Noise  in  His  Head.' " 

That  is  the  end  of  the  road. 


A  close  parallel  to  the  Coeur  d'Alene  story  is  found  in  a  myth  of  the 
Columbia  River  tribes.  There  are  but  two  minor  variations :  Coyote  kills 
three  of  his  sons,  sparing  the  youngest,  who  is  however  dropped  to  his 
death  by  the  escaping  geese ;  Coyote's  wife  finally  leads  Coyote  back  to 
his  children,  reuniting  the  family  (Idaho  Farmer,  Sept.  18,  1930). 

The  killing  of  a  neighbor,  relative  or  intimate  friend  is  a  common 
theme  in  Coyote  and  Raven  cycles.  It  occurs  in  myths  of  the  Wishram, 
Wasco,  Tsimshian  and  Kathlamet. 


Coyote  warns  the  Deer  people  to  look  out  for  a  mystery  being;  each  morning 
Coyote  treacherously  kills  one  Deer  {Wishram  PAES  2:161;  Wasco  PAES 
2:271). 

Raven  visits  his  "brother-in-law"  Deer ;  the  next  day  Raven  kills  and  eats  Deer 
and  his  store  of  provisions  (Raven  also  kills  Deer's  wife)  {Tsimshian  ARBAE 
31:89;   BBAE  27:63. 

Coyote  warns  his  house-fellow  Raccoon  of  warriors ;  Coyote  shoots,  pretends 
to  doctor,  kills  and  eats  Raccoon ;  Coyote  is  left  starving  {Kathlamet  BBAE 
26:152). 

In  Thompson  and  Shuswap  myth  is  found  the  theme  of  Coyote's  at- 
tempt to  kill  birds  in  flight. 

Coyote  knocks  down  geese  which  respond  to  his  call ;  the  geese  revive  and  carry 
off  Coyote's  son;  Coyote  strikes  his  son  by  mistake;  the  geese  escape  {Thompson 
MAM  12:310). 

Coyote's  son  is  unable  to  hold  down  the  four  swans  which  have  fallen  in  response 
to  Coyote's  song  and  dance  {Shuswap  MAM  4 :638) . 

In  a  Shuswap  myth  of  a  supernatural  type  the  ugly  youngest  brother  succeeds  in 
depriving  swans  of  their  power  of  flight  and  clubs  them  after  the  shamans  and 
Coyote  have  failed  (MAM  4:703). 

7.  Coyote  loses  his  Eyes  (Eye  Juggling) 

Coyote  comes  to  Pheasants'  house 
Coyote  bakes  Pheasants'  children 
Pheasants  kill  Coyote  and  revive  children 
Coyote  revives,  but  has  a  broken  leg 
Coyote  eats  his  own  marrow 


90  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

Children  taunt  Coyote ;  he  turns  them  into  crossbills 

Coyote  juggles  with  his  eyes  which  are  stolen 

Coyote  steals  Catbird's  eyes 

Coyote  threatens  a  woman  in  the  trail  with  nettles 

The  woman  becomes  Coyote's  wife 

Coyote  and  his  wife  come  to  a  dance 

Coyote  tries  to  get  fat  which  turns  to  rock 

Coyote  is  buried  in  rocks 

Woodpecker  pecks  rocks  from  Coyote's  eye 

Coyote  taunts  Raven  who  picks  out  his  eyes 

Coyote's  wife  scatters  the  remaining  rocks 

Coyote's  wife  aims  arrow,  Coyote  shoots  a  deer ;  wife  pretends  he  missed 

Coyote's  wife  gives  him  medicine  for  eyes 

Coyote  breaks  taboo,  eats  medicine  and  becomes  blind  again 

Coyote  makes  eyes  of  pitch 

Coyote  comes  to  house  of  old,  blind  woman  whose  grandchildren  are  dancing  with 

his  eyes. 
Coyote  kills  old  woman ;  grandchildren  carry  him  to  dance ;  he  recovers  his  eyes 
Coyote  leaves  spittle  behind  singing  while  he  runs  off  taunting  his  hosts 

Coyote  was  going  along.  He  went  into  a  house  where  there  were 
many  children.  It  was  dusty  in  there.  The  mouths  of  the  children  were 
dirty.  "What  are  you  doing?"  "We  are  baking  berries."  "Where  are 
they?"  "There  in  that  sack."  "Go  get  me  a  sack.  I  am  going  to  bake 
some." 

They  brought  him  a  sack.  He  fixed  the  oven,  put  berries  in,  covered 
them  and  put  fire  on  top.  "Eat  so  you  grow  fast,"  he  told  the  children. 
He  ate  also.  "Did  you  have  enough?"  "Yes."  "Who  is  your  father?" 
asked  Coyote.  "He  Flaps  on  the  Head."1  "And  your  mother?"  "She 
Darts  between  the  Legs."1  "Bring  another  sack,"  ordered  Coyote. 

He  killed  the  pheasant  children  and  arranged  them  around  the  fire. 
Then  he  went  off.  He  sang.  "They  don't  make  their  children  mind." 

The  pheasants  were  picking  berries  and  heard  him  singing  for  about 
a  mile.  The  man  said,  "I  suppose  he  has  done  something  to  our  children. 
You  stay  here.  I'll  go  see  what  is  wrong."  He  flew  home  and  found  his 
children  all  dead.  He  went  back  and  told  his  wife.  "It's  pitiable  about 
our  children."  She  said,  "Let's  follow  him." 

They  flew.  "Pheasants'  children  don't  mind,"  sang  Coyote  as  he  went 
along.  The  Pheasants  took  a  road  which  ran  right  along  the  edge  of  a 
cliff.  They  waited  there  for  Coyote.  He  came  along  singing.  The  man 
said,  "I'll  be  the  first,  I'll  fly  at  his  face." 

1  In  the  original  there  is  a  play  upon  words  here  making  the  two  phrases  at  once 
an  obscenity  and  a  threat.  The  threat  was  that  the  father  would  come  flying  sud- 
denly past  Coyote's  head  and,  as  he  jumped  aside,  the  mother  would  fly  suddenly 
between  his  legs. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  91 

When  he  was  right  over  Coyote  he  defecated.  As  Coyote  jumped  the 
mother  flew  between  his  legs.  He  was  so  frightened  he  fell  over  the 
cliff.  The  pheasants  went  home.  It  was  awful  to  see  the  children.  The 
parents  cried.  They  picked  up  the  remains,  washed  them  and  stepped 
over  them.  Then  they  became  alive. 

As  for  Coyote  he  fell  from  the  cliff  and  died.  He  got  up  after  a  while. 
He  fell  again.  He  found  he  had  broken  his  leg.  He  looked  where  his 
leg  was  broken.  He  saw  marrow  on  it.  He  scooped  it  up  on  a  stick  and 
tasted  it.  "My !  It's  good,  my  marrow." 

He  ate  it  all.  He  took  a  piece  of  willow.  He  chewed  it  and  stuffed  it 
into  the  hole  in  his  bone.  He  ate  off  the  end  of  the  other  piece  of  bone 
and  stuffed  chewed  willow  in  that.  Then  he  pressed  the  two  ends  to- 
gether. Some  children  saw  him  do  this.  "Self-Taster  is  Coyote,"  they 
called  at  him.  "You  lie,  you  lie !  Come  fix  it  for  me !  I  broke  my  leg." 

Two  of  the  children  came.  "That's  for  no  good  you  say  that  'Coyote 
tasted  himself.'  I  am  only  fixing  my  leg."  He  grabbed  one  of  them  and 
twisted  his  mouth.  He  did  the  same  to  the  other  and  said,  "Now  let's 
see  if  you  say,  'Coyote  is  a  Self-Taster !'  "  But  they  could  now  say  noth- 
ing but,  "tsu,  tsu,  tsu."  They  had  become  crossbills. 

Coyote  went  off.  He  saw  a  man  throwing  up  his  eyes.  He  ran  and 
said,  "My  eyes,  come  back  again !"  Then  they  dropped  into  his  sockets 
again.  Coyote  said,  "My  gr-gr-gr-grandfather  knew  that  trick  too.  Do 
you  think  you  are  the  only  one  who  knows  it?" 

He  took  out  his  eyes  and  threw  them  up.  "Come  drop  back,  my  eyes !" 
But  the  man  ran  and  caught  them  and  Coyote  had  no  eyes. 

He  went  on.  He  heard  someone  say,  "Coyote  is  going  to  fall  off." 
Coyote  was  pretending  he  could  see  and  would  not  look  at  the  man.  He 
thought,  "Maybe  he  sees  a  deer."  He  asked,  "Is  it  a  deer  you  see?"  He 
made  signs,  "What?  What?  Where  are  you?"  "There,  don't  you  see  it!" 

Coyote  took  him  by  the  head,  "There  it  is.  Come  I'll  aim  your  eye. 
I'll  point  right  at  it." 

He  took  hold  of  the  man's  head  and  aimed  it,  then  pulled  out  his 
eyes  and  put  them  into  his  own  sockets.  He  could  see  again.  He  threw 
the  man  over  the  cliff.  He  became  Catbird  (canyon  wren?).  He  said, 
"When  anyone  hears  you  he  will  become  lonesome." 

Coyote  looked  and  saw  that  if  he  had  taken  one  more  step  he  would 
have  fallen  over  the  cliff.  He  had  eyes  again  but  they  were  very  small. 
He  went  on.  He  saw  a  woman  sitting  in  the  trail.  He  said,  "Move  aside !" 
She  paid  no  attention.  He  said,  "I  told  you  to  move  over.  Are  you  dead  ?" 
She  sat  still.  He  went  near  to  her  ear  and  shouted,  but  she  did  not 
answer.  He  went  still  closer  and  said,  "Are  you  blind?" 


92  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

He  was  thirsty.  He  went  down  to  the  spring.  He  drank.  He  found 
some  nettles  and  pulled  some  out.  He  went  back  and  said,  "If  you  don't 
move  I'll  touch  you  with  these."  He  touched  her  with  them.  "Don't! 
I'll  move.  Only  don't  touch  me  with  them."  He  sang,  "If  you  don't  move 
I  am  going  to  touch  you  with  nettles."  "Stop  it !  I'll  move.  I'm  going  with 
you."  "Why  should  you  want  to  go  with  me?"  "I'm  going  with  you." 
"Why  didn't  you  say  so  long  ago?" 

They  went  along  together.  At  night  they  heard  singing.  Coyote  said, 
"Let's  go  see  what  it  is."  The  woman  said,  "No,  we  are  going  on." 
"Just  for  a  little  while."  She  said,  "No !"  and  went  on. 

Coyote  went  in.  The  people  were  dancing.  He  danced  too.  He  saw 
hanging  bladders  full  of  fat.  He  said,  "I  will  blow  out  the  light.  They  used 
to  dance  in  the  dark."  He  blew  it  out.  He  found  the  tallow  and  jumped  up 
at  it.  There  were  only  rocks.  He  tried  another  bladder.  It  made  a  noise 
like  rocks.  "Light  the  light,"  he  said.  When  it  was  light  again  he  saw 
there  were  no  people.  "Where  are  you  ?" 

Everywhere  he  moved  there  were  rocks.  They  came  closer  and  closer 
together.  "Where  are  you,  my  partners  ?"  he  cried,  but  no  one  answered. 
He  cried  and  cried  but  finally  he  could  not  even  move  his  head  for  rocks. 
In  the  morning  he  heard  animals  pecking.  "Come  over  and  help  me  out. 
Peck  me  out  of  here." 

Woodpecker  pecked  around  his  nose.  "You  are  pitiful,"  he  said.  "Peck 
out  my  eyes  so  I  can  see  people."  "All  right.  I  will  get  you  out."  He 
pecked  all  around  Coyote's  eye.  At  night  he  said,  "It  is  dark  now.  I 
will  leave  you,  but  I  will  come  back  in  the  morning." 

He  went  home.  He  tied  up  his  head.  "What's  the  matter?"  asked  his 
wife.  "I  bet  you  were  pecking  at  that  Coyote."  "No.  I  was  pecking  for 
something  to  eat.  All  day  I  was  busy  at  it.  That  is  why  my  head  aches." 

The  next  day  Woodpecker  worked  again.  About  noon  he  got  to 
Coyote's  eye.  Then  he  could  see  with  one  eye.  "Now  you  are  all  right. 
You  can  see  again.  My  head  aches  terribly,  so  I  will  leave  you." 

Coyote  could  see  the  sky.  Soon  he  heard  "cu  cu  cu."  He  saw  it  was 
Buzzard  flying  above  him.  "My !  You  are  ugly !  I  shouldn't  be  looking 
at  you.  You  are  black.  Your  legs  are  rough,  your  eyes  are  white,  your 
nose  is  long." 

Just  as  Coyote  said,  ".  .  .  ugly"  Buzzard  swooped  down  and,  "tc'ar 
tc'ar,"  picked  out  his  eye.  Coyote  set  up  a  howl,  "I  can't  see  any  more." 
He  took  his  head  in  his  hands  and  moved  the  other  eye  to  the  hole. 
Buzzard  picked  it  out. 

Then  the  woman,  who  was  sitting  where  Coyote  had  left  her,  threw 
out  her  belt  and  caused  the  rocks  to  scatter.  She  led  him  away.  Soon  she 
saw  a  deer.  She  said,  "There's  a  deer.  I  wish  there  was  a  man  to  shoot 


The  Myths  and  Tales  93 

it."  Coyote  said,  "Am  I  not  a  man?  Fix  an  arrow  for  me  and  aim  it. 
You  hold  it  still  and  tell  me  when  it  is  ready.  Then  I'll  shoot." 

She  did  as  he  directed.  He  killed  the  deer.  Then  he  praised  himself, 
"My,  I  am  a  pretty  good  shot !  I  killed  that  deer  all  right."1  The  woman 
said,  "You  shot  a  tree."  "Oh!  I  was  just  talking."  "Come  let's  get  the 
arrow."  She  took  it  out  of  the  deer  and  put  it  away.  Then  she  led  him 
around  in  a  circle  all  day.  Finally  Coyote  said,  "Aren't  we  near  the  place 
where  we  can  go  through  because  I  think  I  know  it?  It  seems  as  if  we 
were  going  the  wrong  way."  "We're  a  long  way  from  there."  "I  don't 
know,  we've  already  gone  over  many  hills."  Then  she  told  him.  "No, 
we've  only  gone  over  one.  It  was  bad  to  walk  over." 

Coyote  had  thought  he  was  going  over  many  logs  all  the  time.  The 
woman  was  lying  to  him.  He  had  really  shot  the  deer.  They  were  right 
near  where  the  deer  was  lying.  "We'll  camp  here,"  decided  the  woman. 
"Sit  down  right  here.  I  will  make  the  fire." 

She  made  a  big  fire.  Then  she  said,  "I  am  going  to  fix  some  medicine 
for  your  eyes."  Coyote  sat  there  patiently.  She  cut  up  the  deer  and  broke 
the  bone  at  the  knee.  "My !  It  sounds  good.  She  is  breaking  the  deer's 
leg."  "I  just  broke  a  stick."  "Oh,  I  was  only  talking."  She  roasted  the 
liver,  tci  •  •  •  lasasa.  "My !  That  sounds  good !"  "The  wood  is  wet,  that 
is  the  reason  it  makes  that  snapping  noise."  "I  was  only  saying.  .  .  ." 

She  took  some  fat  and  tied  it  up.  "It  is  true  you  killed  a  deer."  He 
said,  "I  know  I  did."  "I  will  lead  you  over  to  get  the  medicine.  We'll 
eat  when  you  get  back."  "Don't  you  taste  any  till  I  come,"  he  begged. 
"We'll  eat  together."  "Go  on,  hurry !  Take  this,"  she  said  as  she  handed 
him  fat  tied  up  in  deer  intestine.  "When  the  water  comes  up  under  your 
arm  throw  it  in,  but  don't  look  back  at  it.  Come  without  looking  back." 

Coyote  started  off.  He  looked  back.  He  saw  the  woman  cooking. 
"Don't  eat  till  I  come,"  he  called.  He  had  not  even  gone  as  far  as  the 
shore  whent  he  thought,  "I  didn't  even  see  what  kind  of  medicine  she 
gave  me.  I  better  look  at  it  so  if  I  have  sore  eyes  again  I'll  know  what 
medicine  to  use."  He  saw  it  was  fat.  "Why  that's  not  medicine,  that's 
something  to  eat,"  he  said  and  bit  at  it.  He  swallowed  it  all  and  every- 
thing got  black  before  him.  "Wa  wa  wa"  he  cried.  He  tried  and  tried  to 
vomit  it  up,  but  in  vain. 

"What's  the  matter  now?"  said  the  woman.  "You  crazy  Coyote.  You'll 
have  rust  around  your  eyes.  You  think  I'll  lead  you  around  again  soon. 
You  can  just  keep  wandering  around." 

She  went  off  in  disgust.  Coyote  went  along  crying.  He  ran  into  some- 
thing. He  felt  around.  He  was  in  the  timber ;  it  was  a  tree.  He  took  some 

1  The  woman  must  have  been  a  Colville  because  Coyote  said  "deer"  in  the  Col- 
ville  language  and  the  man  must  speak  the  woman's  language  (Julia) . 


94  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

pitch  and  rubbed  it  in  his  eyes.  Then  he  could  see  a  little  but  everything 
looked  blurry.  He  got  more  pitch.  Whenever  it  got  warm  the  pitch  melted 
and  he  had  to  keep  on  making  new  eyes. 

After  a  time  he  saw  a  house  where  someone  was  singing.  An  old 
woman  lived  there.  She  had  four  grandchildren  who  were  dancing  and 
singing  with  Coyote's  eyes.  The  old  woman  herself  was  singing  to  ac- 
company her  pounding  of  sunflower  seed.  Coyote  went  in  and  saw  she 
was  blind.  "Well,  you  are  pounding  away,"  he  said  cheerfully.  She  did 
not  answer  so  he  tried  again,  "You  are  home  today."  Again,  "Oh,  I 
didn't  know."  "Don't  you  know  anything?"  "No."  "Don't  you  know 
Coyote  took  away  my  eyes?"  They  are  dancing  with  some  eyes  and 
playing  with  them.  "Oh!  I  didn't  know  it."  "Come  in  again  tonight.  I 
have  four  granddaughters.1  They'll  stop  playing  with  the  eyes  then. 
Come  back  and  as  soon  as  the  sun  goes  down  I  will  be  taken  over  and 
I  will  have  my  eyes  for  the  night."  "All  right,  I'll  go  along  too." 

Then  she  warned,  "Go  along  now,  that  is  the  Chief,  Chief  Coyote." 
"Is  he  a  chief  ?"  The  old  woman  said,  "Really  you  are  pitiful.  Of  course 
Coyote  is  a  big  chief  like  the  deer  with  antlers."  "Well  I  guess  I  better 
go  then." 

Then  Coyote  took  a  stick  and  killed  the  old  woman.  He  pulled  off  her 
dress  and  while  doing  so  tore  his  eye  a  little.  He  pressed  the  tear  to- 
gether and  the  hair  stood  out  straight.  He  put  her  dress  on  himself.  He 
tied  up  his  eye.  He  laid  the  old  woman  in  the  corner  and  covered  her. 
Then  he  sat  down  and  pounded  and  sang,  "My  grandchildren  are  play- 
ing with  Coyote's  eyes." 

The  children  heard  him.  They  laughed  and  said,  "It  is  Coyote's  voice. 
What  is  the  matter  with  our  grandmother?"  They  went  in  and  asked 
her.  "I  have  been  singing  all  day.  That's  why  I  am  hoarse."  "Why  is 
your  eye  tied  up  like  that?"  "Some  of  these  sunflower  seeds  flew  into 
it."  "Well,  go  get  ready."  "I  am  ready,  I'll  go  get  Coyote's  eyes,"  sang 
the  old  woman. 

They  ate  what  she  had  pounded.  They  went  to  the  dance.  The  oldest 
one  carried  the  old  woman  on  her  back.  She  started  to  run.  "Oh  my  chest 
hurts,  go  more  quietly."  "No,  we're  in  a  hurry !" 

She  had  not  gone  far  with  her  load  when  she  put  it  down  and  her 
sister  took  it  up.  Every  time  Coyote  asked  one  of  them  to  slow  up  she 
refused  at  first,  but  finally  consented.  So  it  went  on  until  all  the  old 
woman's  grandchildren  had  carried  him.  When  they  came  in  sight  of 
the  dancehall  the  youngest  put  him  down  and  the  people  helped  him  in. 

He  said,  "Where  are  Coyote's  eyes?" 

4 

1  The  granddaughters  were  birds :  Nighthawk,  Waterbird,  xwi'u  xwi'u,  and 
Killdeer. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  95 

They  set  the  pot  of  water  containing  them  near  him.  He  felt  around 
in  it.  "Here  are  my  eyes  lying  in  the  water.  Oh  thank  you!  At  last  I 
have  my  eyes  back.  Let's  dance  now."  Coyote  took  up  the  eyes  and  the 
people  began  to  dance.  He  sang,  "Put  out  the  light.  Long  ago  they  used 
to  dance  in  the  dark." 

The  light  was  put  out.  He  tore  off  the  dress  and  threw  it  down.  Then 
he  spat  on  the  floor  and  ran  out.  The  spittle  kept  on  singing  but  it  got 
weaker  and  weaker.  "Let's  have  light,  the  old  woman  is  dying."  They 
got  a  light.  There  was  no  old  woman.  They  found  it  was  the  spittle 
singing.  The  eyes  were  gone  from  the  pot.  Then  they  said,  "It  must 
have  been  Coyote  himself." 

Outside  they  heard  him  laugh.  They  knew  him  only  too  well.  "The 
Chief  has  taken  his  eyes  from  us,"  they  said.  Coyote  ran  off,  they 
chased  him. 

The  end  of  the  road. 


Each  of  the  four  main  episodes  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  myth — Coyote's 
experience  with  the  Pheasants,  Eye-Juggling,  the  deception  of  the  blind 
hunter  and  Coyote's  recovery  of  his  eyes — occurs  frequently  in  the 
myths  of  other  tribes,  but  a  combination  of  all  four,  such  as  is  found 
in  the  case  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene,  does  not  appear.  Three  of  the  episodes 
however  are  combined  in  an  analogous  Shuswap  myth : 

Coyote  comes  to  Foolhen's  home;  he  gums  the  eyes  of  wood  partridge,  prairie 
hen  and  partridge,  Foolhen's  children;  the  mother  and  children  frighten  Coyote 
off  the  cliff.  Coyote  plays  catch  with  his  eyes ;  Daw  steals  thtn ;  Coyote  makes  eyes 
of  rosehips.  Coyote  comes  to  the  house  of  a  woman  whose  four  daughters  are 
dancing  with  his  eyes;  Coyote  snatches  his  eyes  and  runs  off  taunting  them  (IS  7). 

Detailed  accounts  of  Coyote's  loss  of  his  eyes  which  correlate  with  the 
Coeur  d'Alene  Eye- Juggling  and  Eye-Recovery  episodes  are  found  in 
the  mythology  of  the  Sahaptin,  Nes  Perce,  Kutenai,  Thompson  and 
Coast  Salish: 

Coyote  imitates  Wildcat  juggling  with  his  eyes;  Wildcat  steals  Coyote's  eyes; 
with  the  aid  of  Elbow  Boy  Coyote  steals  a  man's  eyes;  the  man  becomes  Catbird. 
Coyote  comes  to  an  old  woman  who  tells  him  the  people  are  dancing  with  his 
eyes;  Coyote  kills  her,  her  daughters  carry  him  to  the  dance,  he  regains  his  eyes 
and  flees  (Fox  overtakes  Coyote;  Coyote  sends  Fox  back)  {Sahaptin  MAFLS 
11 :155,  Nes  Perce  JAFL  21 :19). 

Snipe  juggles  with  his  eyes;  Coyote  steals  Snipe's  eyes;  Snipe  takes  Coyote's 
eyes;  Coyote  makes  eyes  of  gum,  of  foam,  and  of  huckleberries;  he  steals  some 
children's  eyes.  Coyote  kills  an  old  woman,  her  two  granddaughters  carry  him 


96  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

to  the  dance,  he  recovers  his  eyes  and  escapes,  taunting  the  people  (Kutenai  BBAE 
59:183). 

Deer  people  imprison  Coyote  in  a  house  of  ice ;  Coyote  licks  a  hole  through  and 
passes  out  his  body  parts;  Raven  (Crow)  steals  his  eyes;  girls  taunt  blind  Coyote; 
he  takes  the  eyes  of  one,  Catbird;  the  people  put  red  bearberries  in  her  sockets. 
Coyote  kills  a  half-blind  woman,  girls  carry  him  to  a  dance,  he  regains  his  eyes  and 
runs  off  (Thompson  MAM  12:308). 

Among  the  Coast  Salish  tribes  variants  of  the  myth  in  different  settings 
have  been  recorded  and  grouped  together.  In  an  Upper  Chehalis  version, 
following  the  general  pattern  for  that  group,  and  in  the  Wynoochee  and 
Satsop  versions  Woodpecker  pecks  Xwan  out  of  the  stump  in  which  he 
is  imprisoned  and  takes  away  his  eyes  and  anus;  Xwan  uses  wildrose 
centers  (berries)  for  eyes ;  he  tricks  Snail  woman  into  trading  him  her 
eyes.  Xwan  comes  to  the  people  who  are  playing  with  his  eyes,  retrieves 
his  property  and  runs  away.  In  the  Cowlitz  myth,  Xwa'ni,  imprisoned  in 
a  stump,  eats  up  all  his  flesh,  including  his  eyes ;  when  released  and 
revived  by  the  Woodpeckers,  he  uses  dogwood  blossoms  for  eyes ;  he 
tricks  Waterbird  into  exchanging  eyes  with  him;  he  juggles  his  eyes; 
Raven  steals  one.  Xwa'ni  kills  an  old  woman,  her  granddaughters  carry 
him  to  the  games,  he  recovers  his  eye  and  runs  away  (MAFLS  27 :384). 

Three  less  elaborate  accounts  of  Coyote's  eye- juggling  experience  are 
related  in  a  Thompson,  a  Nez  Perce  and  a  Shuswap  myth. 

Coyote  imitates  Blue  Grouse  juggling  with  his  eyes;  Raven  steals  Coyote's  eyes; 
Coyote  uses  bearberries  for  eyes ;  a  boy  taunts  Coyote,  Coyote  takes  the  boy's  eyes, 
gives  him  his  bearberries  as  substitutes  and  transforms  him  into  a  bird.  [In  an 
appended  fragment  it  is  related  that  Coyote  assumed  the  appearance  of  an  old 
woman  and  was  carried  to  a  gathering  by  four  girls,  whom  he  impregnated.  (The 
recorder  was  unable  to  find  anyone  who  knew  the  remaining  details  which,  it  was 
claimed,  dealt  with  Coyote's  recovery  of  his  eyes.)]   (Thompson  MAM  12:212.) 

Coyote  imitates  a  man  juggling  with  his  eyes;  the  man  causes  Coyote's  eyes  to 
be  lost;  Curlew  taunts  Coyote;  Coyote  takes  Curlew's  eyes  and  gives  him  service- 
berries  as  substitutes  (Nez  Perce  CUCA  25:68). 

Coyote  imitates  Holxoli'p  juggling  with  his  eyes;  Raven  steals  Coyote's  eyes; 
Coyote  uses  two  roseberries  for  eyes  (Shuswap  MAM  4:632). 

The  assumption  of  a  disguise  to  recover  lost  property  is  a  stylistic 
device  of  widespread  distribution. 

In  one  of  numerous  typical  examples,  a  Haida  myth,  Raven  pulls  off 
an  old  man's  skin  and  gets  into  it ;  in  this  disguise  he  gains  entry  to  the 
house  where  the  stolen  arm  of  the  chief's  son  is  kept ;  he  recovers  it  and 
flies  away  as  Raven  (BBAE  29:136). 


The  Myths  and  Tales  97 

The  Coeur  d'Alene  account  of  Coyote's  experience  with  the  pheasants 
finds  analogies  in  myths  of  other  tribes  not  linked  up  with  the  eye-loss : 
Sanpoil,  Pend  d'Oreille,  Okanagon  and  Shuswap. 

Twelve  Willow  Grouse  children  tell  Coyote  their  parents  are  out  gathering  ber- 
ries; Coyote  assumes  the  children  are  calling  him  names,  puts  pitch  in  their  eyes 
and  blinds  them ;  the  Willow  Grouse  parents  hide  and  frighten  Coyote  off  the  edge 
of  a  cliff;  Coyote  falls  into  the  water  below  in  the  form  of  a  basket1  (Sanpoil 
MAFLS  11:101). 

Coyote  gambles  with  Chickadee  and  wins  everything;  Coyote  bakes  Prairie 
Chicken's  children;  Chickadee  revives  the  children;  the  Prairie  Chicken  parents 
frighten  Coyote  off  a  cliff;  Chickadee  recovers  his  clothes  and  bow  and  arrows 
(and  shoots  an  arrow  chain)    (Sanpoil  JAFL  46:157). 

Similar  to  the  above  is  the  Pend  d'Oreille  myth  which  is  also  found  in  a  like 
form  among  the  Okanagon:  Coyote  cooks  ten  Willow  Grouse  children;  the  Grouse 
parents,  Flying  Past  Head  and  Flying  Past  Between  the  Legs,  frighten  Coyote  off 
a  cliff;  as  Coyote  falls,  the  Grouse  snatch  back  Wren's  losses  to  Coyote  at  gam- 
bling; Wren  revives  the  Grouse  children;  Fox  revives  Coyote  (Wren  shoots  an 
arrow  chain)2  (MAFLS  11:114). 

Coyote  puts  gum  in  the  Grouse  children's  eyes ;  the  four  Grouse  mothers  clean 
their  children's  eyes  and  startle  Coyote  into  falling  off  the  precipice;  Coyote  falls 
into  the  river  and  is  doctored  by  his  wife;  he  floats  downstream  (Shuswap  MAM 
4:628,  740). 

There  is  also  the  analogous  sequel  to  the  Kutenai  myth  in  which  Coyote  gives 
Locust  a  ride :  Coyote  and  Locust  meet  a  Grizzly  Bear ;  Coyote  sets  Locust  down 
at  the  edge  of  a  cliff ;  Locust  scares  Grizzly  into  falling  off  the  cliff ;  Grizzly  dies. 
To  the  above  myth  is  appended  the  footnote :  "The  idea  of  a  person  being  frightened 
by  the  sudden  flying  up  of  birds  or  by  a  sudden  movement,  and  caused  to  fall  down 
over  a  cliff,  is  rather  widely  spread"  (BBAE  59:2,  293,  n.  2). 

Further  references  in  addition  to  those  already  considered  include  the 
Ojibwa  (PAES  7,  pt.  1:187,415;  pt.  2:41);  the  Lillooet  (JAFL  25: 
305) ;  the  Assiniboin  (APAM  4:110) ;  and  the  Pawnee  (CI  59:459). 

In  the  Ojibwa  versions  Nanabushu  eases  himself  upon  young  birds  (twelve 
ruffed  grouse)  who  call  themselves  Winged  Startlers  (Little  Frightener)  ;  their 
mother,  Ruffed  Grouse,  washes  them  and  scares  Nanabushu  into  falling  into  the 
water;  he  swims  away,  admitting  the  birds'  identity. 

In  the  Lillooet  fragment  Coyote  puts  gum  in  the  eyes  of  the  Grouse  children, 
which  their  mother  cleans  out  again. 

1The  action  continues  into  the  story  of  the  Salmon  Release  (see  tale  8). 
aNone  of  my  informants  knew  the  Arrow  Chain  tale  (G.A.R.). 


98  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

The  Coeur  d'Alene  episode  of  blind  coyote  shooting  the  arrow  which 
the  woman  aims  for  him  appears  frequently  in  other  myth  bodies,  often 
elaborated  to  the  proportions  of  a  myth  complete  in  itself,  never  as  in 
the  Coeur  d'Alene  combination.  In  each  of  the  versions  the  blind  hunter 
eventually  regains  his  sight  with  the  assistance  of  Loon's  supernatural 
power  and  the  woman  who  deceived  him  is  deserted  or  killed :  Chilcotin 
(MAM  4:35);  Tsimshain  (ARBAE  31:246);  Haida  (MAM  8:212, 
263;  MAM  14:354);  Southern  Puget  Sound  (UWPA  3:139); 
Kwakiutl  (CUCA  2:448) ;  Rivers  Inlet  (IS  229) ;  Tlingit  (BBAE  39: 
104) ;  and  Smith  Sound  Eskimo  (JAFL  12:169;  ARBAE  31 :952). 

Thompson  and  Shuswap  examples  of  Woodpeckers'  assistance  to 
those  entrapped  in  rocks  reveal  one  further  point  of  departure  for  a 
comparison  with  a  Coeur  d'Alene  element. 

Coyote  gets  caught  in  a  cave ;  four  Woodpeckers  succeed  in  splitting  the  rock ; 
Coyote  is  released  {Thompson  MAFLS  11 :9). 

Bluejay  after  killing  a  monster  is  trapped  inside  a  cliff;  the  Woodpeckers  peck 
him  out  (Shuswap  MAM  4:662). 

8.  Coyote  Hunts  with  Crane  and  Releases  Salmon 

Chief  sends  his  two  daughters  to  Crane  as  wives 

The  girls  eat  camas  off  door ;  they  are  fed  with  meat 

Crane  accompanies  girls  on  visit  to  their  father 

Crane  carries  much  food  in  little 

Coyote  taunts  Crane  about  his  loud  voice 

Crane  conducts  hunt 

Coyote  imitates  Crane  unsuccessfully,  kicking  dead  tree  to  start  fire 

Coyote  disobeys  Crane's  orders :  Crane  calls  deer ;  Coyote  does  not  have  arrows 

ready  and  shoots  only  two  fawns 
Coyote  imitates  Crane  unsuccessfully,  carrying  deer  on  each  side  of  belt. 
Coyote  goes  down  river 

Salmon  dammed  up  by  four  man-eating  sisters 
Coyote's  powers  become  digger,  armor,  baby  and  log 
Sisters  adopt  weird  foundling 

Foundling  breaks  salmon  dam,  releasing  salmon,  escapes  as  Coyote 
Four  Wolves  and  Fox  steal  Coyote's  salmon 
Coyote  steals  wolves'  eggs,  leaves  excrement  in  their  place 
Coyote  distributes  salmon,  leaving  none  where  he  is  refused  wife 
Coyote  becomes  rock 

There  was  a  village.  Far  from  the  village  Crane  lived  with  his  grand- 
mother. Crane  was  a  good  hunter  and  always  brought  back  many  deer. 
One  day  the  chief  said  to  his  daughters,  "Go  to  Crane's  house.  Maybe 
he'll  share  venison  with  you.  Then  we'll  have  a  bite  of  meat  to  eat." 


The  Myths  and  Tales  99 

The  girls  went  to  Crane's  house.  As  they  came  in  sight  they  heard 
his  noise,  qwar  qwar.  When  they  came  up  to  the  door  they  saw  it  was 
dotted  with  cooked  camas.  They  picked  it  off  and  ate  it.  As  they  did  so 
Crane  said,  "Leave  grandmother's  things  alone.  That  is  the  old  woman's 
door  curtain.  Grandmother  will  look  for  something  for  you  to  eat." 
Pieces  of  camas  were  fastened  to  the  door  curtain  but  each  girl  thought, 
"I  am  so  hungry  for  meat.  I  hope  they  will  give  us  something  besides 
those  pieces  of  camas  that  are  left  over."  Crane  said,  "That  is  not  really 
camas.  Come  in  and  let  grandmother  cook  for  you." 

They  went  in  and  sat  diagonally  opposite  the  grandmother.  At  the 
other  end  of  the  fire  on  their  side  was  a  pile  of  rocks.  Crane  sat  there. 
Then  he  said  to  his  grandmother,  "Hurry  cook  for  them  so  they  can  eat." 

His  grandmother  cooked  meat.  After  it  had  boiled  she  dished  it  up 
and  placed  it  before  the  girls.  Then  she  took  a  piece  of  fat  and  cut  it  in 
half,  then  in  quarters.  She  put  two  quarters  in  each  dish  for  them.  The 
eldest  whispered  to  her  sister,  "Don't  eat  it !  The  meat  is  greasy.  Keep 
is  so  we  can  grease  our  hands." 

Crane  said,  "Go  ahead !  You  can  eat  it  all.  There  will  be  plenty  to 
grease  your  hands."  So  they  ate  it  all. 

Mornings  Crane  would  go  out  to  get  deer.  He  would  get  two  each 
time.  He  hung  one  on  each  side  of  his  belt.  About  two  days  later  he 
would  go  again  and  do  the  same  thing.  He  never  took  more  than  two 
but  there  was  always  plenty  of  meat  of  all  kinds  hanging  in  the  house, 
fresh,  smoked  and  dried.  One  morning  he  said  to  his  grandmother, 
"Get  food  ready  and  do  not  grudge  it.  Today  they  are  going  back  to 
their  parents.  She  made  huge  bundles  of  meat  and  set  them  outside 
the  door. 

When  the  older  girl  came  out  she  thought,  "That  certainly  is  plenty 
of  meat.  But  how  can  we  carry  it  all?"  Just  then  Crane  said,  "I'll  go 
with  you.  I'll  just  put  it  in  my  belt."  The  grandmother  said,  "It's  all 
ready."  Each  of  the  girls  had  a  baby.  Crane  said,  "You  just  carry  the 
babies  and  I'll  carry  the  rest."  When  they  were  finally  ready  the  bundle 
was  very  tiny  and  Crane  stuck  it  in  his  belt.  The  oldest  girl  was  Little 
Squirrel,1  the  younger  was  Chipmunk. 

As  they  came  over  the  hill  Coyote  spied  them  and  shouted,  "There 
he  comes,  the  one  with  the  raucous  voice.  I  don't  suppose  he  has  brought 
anything  for  us,  his  in-laws."  When  they  came  up  to  the  door  of  the 
house  of  his  wives'  father  Crane  threw  the  bundle  down  and  went  in. 
The  two  sisters  who  had  been  away  so  long  were  glad  to  see  their  mother 
and  she  was  glad  to  see  her  grandchildren  and  took  both  babies  in  her 

1 A  squirrel  a  little  larger  than  a  chipmunk  with  spots  on  its  face. 


100  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

arms.  They  were  all  very  happy.  Then  the  elder  said  to  her  mother, 
"Go  get  the  bundle.  Now  you  will  eat  well." 

The  mother  went  out.  The  girl  said,  "Take  half  for  yourself  and  half 
for  the  rest  of  the  tribe."  The  mother  was  just  about  to  untie  it,  but 
her  daughter  stopped  her,  "Don't  untie  it.  Get  a  big  mat  first."  She  got 
a  small  mat.  "That  won't  do,  you  must  get  a  real  big  one."  As  she 
untied  it  it  spread  and  became  a  huge  pile.  She  put  half  away  for  herself 
and  half  she  tied  in  a  number  of  bundles  for  her  tribesmen.  Meanwhile 
Coyote  was  eaves-dropping. 

The  girl  said  to  her  mother,  "Go  call  the  people  of  the  tribe.  They  are 
hungry."  Coyote  shouted  in,  "Shall  I  call  them  all,  even  the  children?" 
He  shouted,  "Come !  You  are  all  invited  to  the  chief's  house."  He  had 
no  more  than  got  the  last  word  out  than  he  ran  into  the  house.  The  people 
all  came.  Some  even  sat  outside.  The  hosts  set  the  food  before  them. 
Coyote  ate  until  he  was  full.  Then  he  pushed  the  meat  to  his  children  and 
they  ate  all  they  could.  Still  there  was  much  left. 

Coyote  said,  "Shall  we  not  take  the  leftovers  along?"  "Yes,"  the 
hosts  answered.  Whenever  Crane  went  out  of  the  house  he  made  his 
noise,  kwar  kwar.  Coyote  complained,  "My,  you  talk  loud!" 

One  day  Crane  said,  "Get  ready !  We'll  go  get  fresh  meat."  "Is  any- 
body deaf  that  you  have  to  holler  so?"  said  Coyote.  They  prepared  for 
a  hunt.  They  got  their  moccasins  ready. 

Crane  said,  "Bring  me  some  skins  to  smoke."  They  slept.  Early  in  the 
morning  they  got  up.  "Hurry  and  eat,"  ordered  Crane.  The  cooks 
hurried.  Crane  asked,  "Are  you  finished  eating?"  "Yes,  we  are  finished." 
"Go  outside."  All  the  people  gathered  outside. 

"Are  you  all  here?"  asked  Crane.  "Yes,"  they  answered.  They  had 
not  gone  far  when  Crane  said,  "Let  us  stop  here  and  make  a  fire  to 
warm  our  hands."  Coyote  asked,  "What  are  you  going  to  shoot  that  is 
as  tame  as  all  that?"  They  went  on.  They  came  to  a  dead  tree.  Crane 
kicked  it.  It  crackled  as  it  began  to  burn. 

Coyote  said,  "Oh  you  know  that  trick  too.  My  father's  father's  father 
used  to  do  that."  Coyote  went  to  another  tree  and  kicked  it,  but  it  did 
not  burn.  The  impact  made  him  fall  over  backward.  "Oh !  That  one 
must  be  wet,"  he  said,  as  he  looked  for  another.  He  kicked  that  and 
fell  over  again.  He  tried  a  third  time  and  failed,  then  Crane  said,  "You 
burnt-eye  of  a  Coyote,  come  warm  your  hands  and  stop  that  foolish- 
ness." Then  he  said  to  the  people,  "Go  on  now,  I  guess  your  hands  are 
warm.  Drive  the  deer  toward  me." 

The  people  scattered  to  their  positions  and  Crane  busied  himself  pre- 
paring sticks  with  pieces  of  scorched  skin.1  The  people  drove  the  deer 

1  This  has  reference  to  the  method  of  hunting  described  by  Teit,  ARBAE  45  :99 ; 
cp.  also  tale  40  of  this  work. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  101 

up.  As  they  came  near  Crane  directed  the  men  not  to  kill  more  than 
two  each.  "All  right  now !  Get  your  arrows  ready  to  shoot !"  he  said. 

Coyote  did  not  get  ready.  His  arrow  was  tied  up.  "What  are  you  go- 
ing to  shoot?  I'm  not  going  to  get  out  an  arrow  when  I  don't  see  any- 
thing to  shoot."  "Ready  now !"  said  Crane. 

Then  "hi  •  •  •  hi  ■  •  •"  he  called,  and  immediately  the  deer  ran  up.  No 
one  shot  more  than  two.  Coyote  was  leaning  against  a  tree  when  he 
heard  a  noise  on  the  snow.  He  saw  it  was  a  deer.  He  reached  for  his 
quiver  but  he  could  not  untie  it.  So  he  tore  the  quiver  trying  to  get  out 
the  arrows.  He  aimed  at  the  biggest  deer  and  shot  it.  He  shot  another 
and  there  were  no  more. 

Then  said  Coyote,  "It's  not  because  I  listen  to  you  but  because  there 
are  no  more."  Then  he  tracked  the  deer  he  had  shot.  He  went  only  a 
little  way  and  there  lay  a  very  small  fawn.  He  went  farther  and  there 
lay  another,  smaller  than  the  first.  The  people  came  and  looked.  "That's 
not  my  game,"  said  Coyote,  justifying  himself.  "I  chose  two  big  ones." 
"We'll  go  along  and  look  for  your  game."  They  came  up  to  it.  "It's  your 
arrow,"  they  told  him.  "Someone  must  have  substituted  his  deer  for 
mine,"  insisted  Coyote.  Then  at  last  he  kept  quiet. 

"Drag  your  deer  to  one  place  and  pile  it  up,"  said  Crane.  Then  he 
checked  up,  asking,  "Did  each  of  you  get  two?  How  about  Coyote?" 
"Only  two  fawns  he  got."  "Well,  skin  them  now  and  go  on." 

Crane  hung  one  of  his  deer  on  each  side  of  his  belt.  Coyote  saw  him, 
"So  you  know  that  too.  My  father's  father's  father  used  to  do  that."  He 
tried  the  same  stunt  but,  as  he  went  along  his  game  dragged  on  the 
ground  even  though  he  had  only  very  small  fawns.  His  belt  was  really 
Mole's  carrying  strap.  "My !  It  might  break !"  He  tied  it  up  more  firmly 
and  fastened  his  deer  again,  but  it  did  break.  Crane  said,  "Burnt-eye, 
you  better  take  it  right  home  to  your  children."  Coyote  used  all  his 
strength.  He  became  thirsty.  He  came  to  some  water  and  drank.  He  was 
burning  hot.  He  thought,  "I'll  take  a  swim." 

He  undressed  and  swam.  As  he  was  swimming  he  saw  a  riffle.  He 
thought,  "I'll  go  over  the  falls."  He  let  himself  float  over.  "My !  it's  nice ! 
I  wish  there  was  a  larger  falls  like  it." 

He  saw  a  large  falls.  He  floated  over  it  and  came  to  where  a  wide 
pool  spread  into  a  river.1  He  followed  the  river  and  saw  some  people. 

"We  cannot  eat  salmon  anymore  because  the  dam  was  closed  up,"  he 
heard  them  saying.  "Why  was  it  dammed  up  ?  Anyway  why  don't  you  go 
and  break  it  up?"  "No,  the  people  are  man-eaters."  "What  kind  of  man- 
eaters?"  "Four  little  girls." 

1  "It  must  have  been  the  Snake  or  the  Columbia,"  interpolated  the  interpreter. 


102  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

Coyote  laughed,  "How  could  little  girls  be  man-eaters !  I'll  go  break 
it  up."  "No  you  will  be  killed."  "Who  is  afraid  of  four  little  girls?  I'll 
go  and  break  up  the  dam.  What  are  their  names?"  "Snipe,  Waterbird,1 
xwi'u  xwi'u  and  Killdeer.  "I'll  hurry  on." 

He  went.  He  came  near  the  house  of  the  man-eaters  which  was  the 
cliff  over  which  the  water  falls.  This  cliff  made  the  dam  and  stopped 
the  salmon.  Coyote  consulted  his  powers.  They  said  to  him,  "My !  you 
give  us  chills,  relative."2  "Hurry,  tell  me  what  to  do.  The  people  are 
starving  for  salmon."  The  first  said,  "I  will  be  a  thing  for  you  to  dig 
with."  The  second  said,  "I'll  be  your  armor,  a  hard  thing  to  protect 
your  hands  and  the  back  of  your  head."  Said  the  third,  "I'll  be  you  in 
the  form  of  a  baby,"  and  the  fourth,  "I'll  be  a  log."  "All  right!"  Then 
they  continued,  "I  will  be  a  baby  in  a  box  on  the  log." 

Coyote  rolled  it  and  it  floated  on  the  water,  a  baby  in  a  box  on  a  log. 
As  the  man-eaters  were  sitting  in  their  house  they  heard  the  cry  of  a 
small  baby,  "wr  wra."  They  thought  it  sounded  like  a  person.  They 
looked  toward  the  water  and  saw  the  log  with  the  box  on  it.  They  said, 
"Surely  some  people  must  have  tipped  over.  Doubtless  the  parents  were 
drowned  and  only  the  child  is  left."  "Let's  go  get  it.  The  one  who  gets 
there  first  can  have  the  child." 

They  jumped  into  the  water  and  swam  toward  the  log.  They  caught 
hold  of  it  and  pushed  it  ashore.  The  baby  was  crying.  One  of  them 
put  her  finger  in  its  mouth  and  it  sucked  in  the  whole  finger.  She  jerked 
it  out.  Then  one  made  a  kind  of  mush  of  salmon  and  the  baby  stopped 
crying  at  once.  He  was  satisfied  and  he  went  to  sleep.  He  woke  up  and 
cried  and  nothing  but  the  salmon  would  satisfy  him.  "utum  turn  turn" 
was  the  noise  he  made.  He  grew  very  fast.  He  was  learning  to  crawl. 

Whenever  the  girls  went  to  dig  Nez  Perce  camas  roots  they  took  the 
baby  with  them.  They  made  a  little  shade  for  him  and  fed  him  salmon. 
Soon  he  was  able  to  eat  by  himself.  They  dug  and  dug.  Then  he  said 
to  Waterbird,  "I'm  thirsty  a  w'd  wa!"  "I'm  busy  now,  go  get  a  drink 
by  yourself."  He  crawled  off  as  a  baby  but,  as  soon  as  he  got  out  of 
sight,  he  became  Coyote  and  ran  to  the  dam.  He  dug  at  it  for  a  short 
time,  then  ran  back.  When  he  came  within  sight  again  he  crept. 

One  of  the  girls  said  to  the  other,  "Go  look  after  the  baby.  He  might 
fall  into  the  water."  One  went  and  saw  him  creeping  back.  She  picked 
him  up.  He  was  crying.  She  quieted  him  with  some  salmon  gruel.  About 
an  hour  later  he  wanted  a  drink  again,  "You  know  how  to  get  it,  go  on !" 

1 A  small  waterbird,  about  the  size  of  a  sparrow,  gray.  Cp.  tale  26  in  which 
Waterbird  is  an  insignificant  boy.  Perhaps  this  was  after  he  had  been  overcome. 

2  Coyote  to  address  his  powers  uses  a  special  reciprocal  term  of  relationship  which 
is  never  used  elsewhere. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  103 

This  time  Coyote  dug  a  larger  hole  in  the  dam.  They  kept  doing  this 
for  many  days.  One  day  Coyote  put  on  his  armor  and  took  his  digging 
stick.  He  stayed  so  long  one  of  the  girls  said,  "Maybe  he  fell  in."  One 
of  them  went  to  look  and  saw  a  Coyote.  "My !  There's  a  coyote !"  she 
called.  They  all  ran  with  their  digging  sticks.  They  came  up  and  clubbed 
Coyote  over  the  head  and  all  over  his  body  but  his  armor  protected  him. 
As  they  beat  him  the  dam  broke.  "Come !  salmon  come !"  he  sang.  The 
salmon  were  released  and  went  one  after  another  upstream.  The  man- 
eating  girls  wept  bitterly  as  they  saw  it. 

As  Coyote  went  along  the  stream  he  became  hungry.  He  said  to  the 
salmon,  "Come,  come  up  on  dry  land."  He  cut  a  stick  for  a  club  and 
stunned  a  salmon.  He  made  a  fire  and  roasted  it  on  a  spit.  He  thought, 
"I'll  take  a  nap  while  it  is  cooking.  Then  just  when  I  wake  up  it  will 
be  nicely  done."  He  went  to  sleep.  The  wolves  saw  the  fire,  the  salmon 
roasting  on  the  spit  and  Coyote  sleeping  near.  "Let's  go  take  what  he  is 
cooking,"  they  said. 

There  were  four  Wolves  and  a  Fox.  They  took  the  salmon  off  the 
stick,  took  a  little  of  the  grease  and  rubbed  it  around  his  mouth  and 
over  his  hands.  They  took  the  burned  stick  and  burned  him  around  the 
nose  and  eyes.1  They  went  to  a  little  hill  and  sat  down  where  they  could 
keep  their  eye  on  Coyote.  They  ate  all  the  salmon.  Coyote  woke  up, 
"That's  right !  I  remember  I  was  going  to  eat  my  salmon."  He  stretched, 
got  up  and  looked.  There  was  nothing  there.  He  thought,  "Could  it  be 
that  I  have  already  eaten  it?  No,  I  know  I  didn't  eat  before  I  slept,  but 
it  looks  as  if  I  did  eat,  only  I  don't  feel  full." 

"u  •  •  •  u  •  •  •,"  he  heard.  He  looked  up  and  saw  the  Wolves  grinning  at 
him  from  the  little  hill.  "They  are  the  ones  who  stole  it,"  he  said,  then 
called,  "You  are  going  to  get  it !" 

They  ran  and  Coyote  ran  after  them,  but  he  soon  tired  of  the  chase 
and  decided  to  turn  back  to  where  he  had  caught  his  salmon.  He  was 
thirsty.  As  he  bent  down  to  drink  he  saw  something  sticking  out  of  the 
water.  He  went  farther  but  there  was  always  something  frightful  looking 
at  him.  "My !  I  can't  get  a  drink,  I'll  consult  my  powers."  He  consulted 
them,  "Hurry  up,  I  am  thirsty.  You  give  a  person  the  chills,  my  rela- 
tives. I  want  to  drink,  go  and  get  that  fierce  thing  out  of  the  water." 

"That's  only  your  own  face  you  are  seeing.  The  wolves  made  you  look 
fierce.  They  burned  your  ears  and  face.  Go  drink!  Look  at  your  face. 
After  you  drink  follow  the  wolves  and  your  friend,  Fox,  over  that  way. 
They  have  gone  to  a  lake  where  they  are  swimming  for  eggs.  When  they 
come  out  they'll  roast  the  eggs.  They'll  sleep  while  the  eggs  are  baking. 

1  That  is  why  he  is  called  Burnt  Eyes. 


104  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

You  go  and  take  them  out  of  the  fire,  but  leave  five  (imitations),  one 
here  and  one  there.  Go  over  and  steal  the  eggs.  At  each  place  defecate 
and  leave  excrement  to  bake.  Then  go  up  on  a  little  hill  and  sit  where 
you  can  watch  the  others.  You  will  see  them  wake  up.  They  will  say, 
'They  must  be  done  by  this  time.'  " 

Coyote  looked  at  them.  He  saw  the  Wolves  and  Fox  standing  in  the 
water.  They  came  out  of  the  water  and  fixed  the  eggs  to  bake.  "Let's 
sleep  while  we  wait  for  them.  Just  when  they  are  cooked  we'll  wake  up." 
They  slept.  Coyote  broke  the  five  eggs  one  by  one.  At  each  place  he 
defecated.  He  took  an  egg  and  rubbed  it  all  over  Fox's  face,  hands  and 
body.  Then  he  went  up  to  the  knoll  and  ate  the  rest  of  the  eggs.  Mean- 
while he  watched  the  others.  After  a  while  he  saw  one  go  over  to  where 
the  eggs  were  baking.  He  saw  him  break  one  open. 

"Wake  up,  we  can  eat  now.  Our  cooking  is  done,"  he  said  to  the  others. 
They  took  them  out  and  found  nothing  but  excrement.  Coyote  said, 
"What's  the  matter?  Why  don't  you  cover  over  your  dung?"  The  wolves 
said,  "It's  that  Coyote  that  did  this  to  us !" 

They  ran  after  Coyote.  Because  Fox  ran  fast  he  caught  up  with 
Coyote.  Coyote  looked  around  at  his  friend,  "Why  did  you  do  that? 
The  eggs  were  for  you  to  eat.  Instead  you  got  them  smeared  all  over 
yourself." 

"Why  do  you  bake  your  own  dung  as  if  it  was  food?"  taunted  Coyote. 
"Why  do  you  turn  against  me  like  this.  I  used  to  be  your  friend."  "Oh ! 
I  was  just  going  along  with  those  Wolf  fellows."  They  went  on  awhile, 
then  Fox  left  Coyote. 

Coyote  went  to  where  the  salmon  were.  He  took  one  to  a  river  in 
the  Nez  Perce  country  and  dropped  in  half  of  it.  He  went  on  to  the 
Colville  Reservation  near  Colville  and  dropped  a  portion  of  salmon. 
Then  he  came  to  Spokan  Falls.  There  he  laid  down  a  salmon  and  said, 
"I'm  a  Coeur  d'Alene.  I'd  like  to  have  a  wife."  He  was  refused.  He  went 
to  the  Coeur  d'Alene  living  on  Lake  Coeur  d'Alene  and  asked  for  a  wife. 
He  arranged  some  sticks1  in  the  water,  set  up  some  poles  and  made  a 
dam.  He  crossed  to  the  opposite  shore  and  fixed  a  rock  in  the  water. 
There  he  hid  his  salmon. 

He  went  up  to  a  man  and  asked  him  for  his  daughter.  "Give  me  your 
daughter  for  my  wife,"  he  asked.  But  no !  Again  he  was  refused.  Then 
he  went  to  St.  Joe  and  Liberty  Lake.  He  shouted  to  the  salmon,  "Don't 
come  into  this  river.  There  are  masmas  roots1  in  it." 

Then  he  went  toward  the  Nez  Perce  country  and  shouted,  "Don't  go 

1  The  rocks  may  be  seen  now  looking  like  the  sticks  Coyote  used. 

2  Masmas  roots  smell  very  strong,  something  like  cabbage  boiling. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  105 

into  the  river  where  the  Coeur  d'Alene  live  in  this  direction.  Swim 
that  way." 

Then  he  asked  for  a  Nez  Perce  woman  and  got  her.  There  was  a  nice 
smooth  rock  there  which  was  very  large.  Just  as  he  was  standing  there 
the  refined  people  heard  a  sound  of  transformation.  Coyote  had  become 
a  rock. 

The  end  of  the  trail. 

The  story  of  the  salmon  release  has  a  wide  distribution,  but  not  in 
combination  with  a  narrative  of  a  hunt  with  Crane  as  in  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  version.  The  Crane  story  was  not  told  by  other  tribes,  even 
as  an  independent  myth,  although  the  element,  "Much  in  Little"  which 
it  contains  is  used  frequently  in  diverse  settings. 

In  a  Kutenai  myth  Coyote  places  himself  at  the  head  of  a  line  of  hunters  though 
he  has  not  as  yet  obtained  any  game ;  he  puts  flicker  feathers  in  his  moccasin  so 
that  when  he  runs  fire  breaks  out ;  the  fire  surrounds  the  door  and  he  kills  them ; 
his  powers  instruct  him  to  blow  on  his  game  to  make  it  small,  so  that  he  will  be 
able  to  carry  it  in  his  belt  as  the  hunters  do  (BBAE  59:135;  VBGA  23:170). 

In  a  myth  of  the  Bella  Coola  a  boy  receives  a  belt  on  each  side  of  which  he  can 
hang  one  mountain  goat  and  thus  carry  his  kill  home  with  ease  despite  its  size 
(MAM  2:59). 

Further  examples  of  persons  with  special  powers  reducing  the  size 
of  large  loads  (of  food,  utensils,  clothes,  wood,  etc.)  so  that  they  may 
be  carried  with  ease,  in  gloves,  mittens,  boxes  or  baskets,  and  the  ex- 
pansion of  the  articles  to  huge  proportions  when  deposited  at  home,  occur 
among  the  Bella  Coola  (Is  250;  MAM  2:90,  105) ;  Chilcotin  (MAM 
2:27,  34,  39)  ;  Shuswap  (MAM  4:689,  712,  748)  ;  Haida  (MAM  8:202, 
265) ;  Kwakiutl  (CUCA  2:283)  ;  Thompson  (MAFLS  11:16,  29,  37, 
44,  54);  Tlingit  (BBAE  39:223,  286);  Tsimshian  (PAES  3:95; 
ARBAE  31 :210)  ;  and  Southern  Puget  Sound  (UWPA  3 :85). 

The  diminution  of  deer  or  elk  meat  specifically,  to  expedite  the  task 
of  packing  it  (most  frequently  inside  mittens  or  gloves)  is  treated  in 
myths  of  the  Thompson  (MAFLS  6:25,41;  MAM  12:205,  263,  268, 
375);  Kutenai  (VBGA  23:163;  BBAE  59:287);  Wasco  (PAES 
2:289)  ;  Southern  Puget  Sound  (UWPA  3:93,  94,  117) ;  and  Shuswap 
(MAM  4:690,  691). 

Although  the  Salmon  Release  in  its  many  phases  was  not  found 
preceded  by  a  Coyote-Crane  myth,  it  frequently  followed  some  other 
myth  common  to  the  Coeur  d'Alene  Coyote  cycle  in  other  forms. 

Among  the  Thompson,  Columbia  River,  Cowlitz,  Southern  Puget 
Sound,  Wasco  and  Nez  Perce  tribes  the  Salmon  Release  follows  the 
Theft  of  Coyote's  Daughter-in-law. 


106  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

Coyote,  floating  downstream  as  a  result  of  his  son's  revenge,  is  taken  in  in  the 
form  of  a  plank  by  two  women  and  used  as  a  dish;  the  dish  eats  their  fish,  is 
thrown  into  the  fire  and  rescued  in  the  form  of  a  baby.  Reared  by  the  women,  the 
child  ultimately  releases  the  salmon  they  have  dammed  up,  as  well  as  smoke, 
wasps,  salmon-flies  and  beetles ;  Coyote  introduces  the  fish  into  all  the  rivers,  but 
sends  none  up  the  Similkameen  where  the  girls  refuse  his  present;  at  Ntaxase'p 
the  youngest  girl  accepts  it  and  becomes  sick ;  he  cures  her ;  in  Okanagon  country 
he  is  given  Wolverene's  daughter  for  a  wife ;  his  own  daughter  is  transformed  into 
a  rock  in  the  Columbia  River  (he  introduces  the  fish  up  the  Columbia  and  Spokane 
Rivers,  but  not  as  far  as  the  Spokane's  source,  for  there  he  is  refused  a  wife ;  he  is 
given  a  wife  at  Kettle  Falls  and  settles  there)  {Thompson  MAFLS  6:27;  MAM 
12:205,  297;  Columbia  River  Idaho  Farmer  Aug.  7,  1930). 

In  another  Thompson  variant  Coyote's  floating  down  the  river  into  a  salmon 
trap,  and  his  ultimate  adoption  as  the  slave  boy  of  the  owners  result  in  his  release  of 
the  fog  and  wasps  which  they  were  preserving  in  two  baskets.  With  this  the  myth 
ends  abruptly  (IS  18). 

In  the  form  of  a  wooden  spoon,  a  dish,  a  horn  spoon,  and  a  cooking  vessel, 
Coyote,  floating  downstream,  is  taken  in  by  women  but  each  time  is  thrown  away ; 
five  girls  (Sandpiper  Sisters)  take  him  in  in  his  disguise  as  a  baby;  one  of  the 
digging-sticks  breaks,  indicating  trouble;  Coyote  breaks  the  girls'  salmon  dam  and 
releases  the  fish;  he  sends  them  down  the  Columbia  River;  only  the  small  fish  are 
left  to  go  up  the  Cowlitz ;  the  girls  turn  into  white  birds ;  Coyote's  excrement  sis- 
ters instruct  him  how  to  call  salmon  ashore;  as  Coyote  sleeps  five  boys  (Wolf 
Brothers)  steal  the  salmon  and  grease  his  hands  and  mouth;  Coyote  steals  the 
boys'  pheasant  eggs  and  paints  their  lips ;  he  gets  two  girls ;  they  run  away  from 
him  (he  transforms  himself  into  a  stone  beside  a  waterfall)  {Cowlitz  MAFLS 
27:245;  Southern  Puget  Sound  UWPA  3:148). 

Coyote,  drifting  down  to  the  ocean,  is  taken  in  by  two  women  in  the  form  of  a 
child  in  a  cradle,  and  releases  their  dammed  up  fish ;  the  fish  crowd  up  the  Colum- 
bia River ;  Coyote  transforms  the  women  into  birds   ( Wasco  P AES  2  :266) . 

Coyote  floats  downstream  in  the  guise  of  a  baby  and  is  taken  in  by  five  Swallow 
girls  despite  his  recognition  by  the  youngest ;  he  breaks  down  the  sisters'  fish-trap 
and  escapes,  shouting  back  names  for  his  children  by  each  of  the  four  elder  sisters 
{Nez  Perce  CUCA  25:380). 

Finally,  one  may  include  in  this  group  a  second  fragmentary  Nez  Perce  version, 
which  has  in  place  of  the  long  Coyote-Coyote's  Son  introduction  a  brief  account  of 
an  attempt  of  Coyote's  Son  to  play  a  trick  on  his  father  by  giving  him  a  rope  of 
gut  with  which  to  carry  venison.  Coyote's  rope  breaks  five  times ;  Coyote  swims 
down  the  river  and  is  taken  in  by  five  girls  in  the  form  of  a  baby ;  he  breaks  their 
dam  and  releases  the  salmon;  he  introduces  the  fish  up  the  river  (JAFL  21 :18). 

In  Shuswap  and  Sanpoil  myth  the  salmon  release  follows  the  episode 
of  the  Grouse  frightening  Coyote  off  the  cliff : 

Coyote,  having  drifted  into  a  weir,  is  taken  in  by  the  girl  owners  for  a  dish;  the 
dish  eats  their  food,  is  thrown  into  the  fire  and  rescued  in  the  form  of  a  baby; 


The  Myths  and  Tales  107 

Coyote  is  raised  by  the  women,  impregnates  them  and  releases  the  fish;  he  con- 
ducts the  fish  up  the  Fraser  and  Thompson  rivers  (Shuswap  MAM  4:629). 

In  the  Sanpoil  myth  the  boy  (Coyote),  rescued  from  the  fire,  breaks  the  dam 
after  a  month's  time  and  turns  the  girl  owners  into  Watersnipes  and  Killdeer ; 
conducting  the  fish  up  the  rivers,  Coyote  calls  salmon  to  shore  to  feed  the  people 
whom  he  passes ;  wherever  girls  refuse  him  for  a  husband  he  makes  falls  to  prevent 
the  salmon  from  ascending  (MAFLS  11:101). 

The  Kutenai  combine  the  Salmon  Release  with  Coyote's  attempt  to 
call  game : 

After  the  animals  have  taken  revenge  upon  Coyote  because  of  his  overdone  imi- 
tation of  Panther's  calling  of  the  game,  Coyote  drifts  down  the  river  as  a  plank; 
used  by  women  as  a  dish,  they  discard  it  for  consuming  all  their  food;  as  a  baby 
Coyote  is  raised  by  Nighthawk  and  Snipe;  he  impregnates  them  and  releases  their 
salmon;  rebuffed  at  Wolverene  town,  he  takes  the  salmon  on  to  Sparrow's  town 
where  he  is  given  a  wife  (BBAE  59:173;  cp.  tale  17  this  work). 

The  Salmon  Release  myth  is  as  commonly  found  as  an  independent 
unit  as  it  is  in  combination  with  other  episodes.  In  the  case  of  the 
Sahaptin,  the  Thompson  and  the  Wishram  Coyote  starts  out  with  the 
definite  role  of  a  transformer.  In  each  case  he  decides  to  look  into  the 
hoarding  of  the  salmon  by  various  women;  has  himself  adopted  as  a 
baby;  breaks  the  barrier  and  releases  the  fish  according  to  the  general 
outline  of  foregoing  versions. 

In  the  Sahaptin  myth,  after  Coyote  has  freed  all  the  people  held  captive  as  fish, 
he  calls  for  the  salmon  (in  accordance  with  the  advice  of  his  dung  boys)  belonging 
to  Beaver  and  cooks  it,  but  some  people  (Wolves)  steal  it  while  he  sleeps ;  Coyote 
steals  the  people's  eggs  and  paints  them  with  the  yolks ;  overtaken  by  Fox,  he 
strikes  him  on  the  chest  leaving  permanent  marks  (MAFLS  11:139,  140,  142). 

In  the  Thompson  account  Coyote  not  only  releases  salmon,  but  also  opens  up 
boxes,  containing  smoke,  wasps,  salmon-flies,  and  beetles  at  the  mouths  of  both  the 
Fraser  and  Columbia  rivers;  he  conducts  the  salmon  up  all  the  larger  streams  of 
the  interior  breaking  down  all  barriers ;  he  transforms  his  daughter  into  stone 
(MAM  12:301). 

In  the  Wishram  version  Coyote  takes  similar  action  against  the  two  women 
who  had  preserved  the  fish  in  a  pond  and  enables  the  fish  to  escape  into  the  Great 
River  for  the  coming  people;  the  women  he  transforms  into  swallows  (PAES  2:3). 

In  versions  of  the  Okanagon  Coyote  floats  down  the  river  into  the  two  wet  wet 
sisters'  weir  (as  he  is  engaged  in  introducing  fish  into  the  various  rivers)  ;  he  is 
taken  in  as  a  baby,  breaks  the  weir  and  escapes,  transforming  the  sisters  into 
sandpipers;  he  catches  a  salmon  on  his  fourth  attempt  and  eats  his  fill;  at  those 
places  at  which  his  suit  is  rejected  by  the  girls  he  leaves  no  fish;  where  the  old 


108  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

people  are  kind  to  him  however  he  leaves  some  salmon ;  he  transforms  his  daughter 
into  a  stone;  given  two  wives  by  the  Wolverene  people  at  Colville,  he  provides 
them  with  much  fish  (MAFLS  11:67,  70). 

In  a  Sanpoil  version  Coyote  floats  up  to  the  Dove  sisters  as  a  wooden  platter ; 
thrown  away  for  eating  their  food,  he  returns  as  a  baby,  breaks  their  fish-trap  and 
releases  the  fish;  Fox  steals  Coyote's  salmon  while  he  sleeps  and  greases  Coyote's 
hands  and  mouth ;  Coyote  steals  the  eggs  of  Fox  and  two  birds  whom  he  smears 
with  egg  yolk;  Coyote  tears  out  dams  wherever  he  is  refused  a  wife,  marries 
Gopher  at  Kettle  Falls;  his  faeces  disguise  him  as  a  Kutenai  so  that  he  can  marry 
his  daughter;  Prairie  Chickens  broadcast  Coyote's  incest;  Coyote's  daughter  jumps 
in  the  river  (JAFL  46:173). 

In  a  Haida  myth  Raven  changes  into  a  baby  and  steals  salmon  from  women  who 
are  drying  fish.  He  also  steals  from  a  man  who  catches  salmon  by  surrounding 
himself  with  a  stone  wall  and  calling  the  fish  to  jump  at  him.  In  neither  incident 
is  there  a  Salmon  Release  motive;  the  myth  is  concerned  with  a  trickster,  rather 
than  a  transformer  (MAM  8:212). 

Scattered  incidents  in  Coyote's  role  as  distributor  of  the  fish  (acknowl- 
edged as  one  of  his  definite  assignments,  MAFLS  11:3;  MAM  4:637) 
are  found  as  such  in  various  myth  bodies. 

In  Sanpoil  stories  Coyote  regulates  the  distribution  of  the  fish  ac- 
cording to  whether  the  people  are  willing  to  give  him  a  wife  or  not.  He 
supplies  the  tribe  of  an  old  man  and  woman  who  give  him  their  daughter 
with  much  salmon  and  teaches  them  how  to  prepare  the  fish  (JAFL 
46:169).  He  destroys  the  falls  at  places  where  people  refuse  him  their 
daughters  and  conducts  the  salmon  further  up  the  river  (JAFL  46:172). 
When  his  request  for  a  girl's  hand  by  proxy  is  refused  by  her  parents, 
he  changes  the  course  of  the  river  and  leaves  the  people  only  sage 
brush  roots,  turning  the  salmon  into  rocks  (JAFL  46:176). 

In  Shuswap  mythology  Coyote  places  a  dam  across  the  Upper  Chilcotin  River 
to  prevent  the  salmon  from  ascending,  thereby  retaining  them  for  the  Shuswap.  The 
reason  for  the  restriction  in  this  case  is  uncertain;  some  say  Coyote  acted  thus  be- 
cause the  Chilcotin  were  a  bad  people  (MAM  4:642). 

Coyote's  role  as  distributor  of  the  salmon  is  usurped  by  Ho'tsani  in  an  Upper 
Chehalis  myth.  Cloud  takes  Ho'tsani  down  to  West  Wind,  where  Ho'tsani  lives 
with  two  women;  he  discovers  a  pool  of  water  in  their  house  and  sends  the  spring 
salmon  in  it  to  all  the  different  rivers ;  he  almost  forgets  the  Chehalis  River ;  con- 
sequently there  are  few  salmon  there  (MAFLS  27:137). 

The  theft  of  a  person's  food  while  it  cooks  is  a  theme  of  wide  distribu- 
tion in  the  form  of  a  complete  myth  or  a  subordinate  incident.  The 
numerous  versions  fit  with  minor  variations  into  the  Coeur  d'Alene  out- 


The  Myths  and  Tales  109 

line  of  the  episode :  food  is  left  to  cook  while  the  owner  sleeps ;  the  thief 
tampers  with  the  sleeper  to  make  him  believe  he  ate  the  food  himself  ;  the 
owner  retaliates  and  attempts  revenge  against  the  thief,  with  a  greater 
or  less  degree  of  success.  The  story  is  told  in  manifold  settings  and 
with  a  wide  variety  of  distinctive  details  among  the  Kutenai  (BBAE 
59:165,  299;  VBGA  23:169)— Coyote  vs.  Lynx;  Nez  Perce  (JAFL 
21 :  18)— Coyote  vs.  the  animals;  Thompson  (MAFLS  6:71,  11:7,  8; 
MAM  12:342)— Coyote  vs.  Fox;  (MAM  12:310)  Coyote  vs.  women; 
(MAFLS  11:6)  Coyote  and  Fox  vs.  women;  Shuswap  (MAM  4:683, 
753) — Coyote  vs.  people;  (MAM  4:633) — Coyote  vs.  Fox;  Kwakiutl 
(CUCA  2 :141 )— Mink  vs.  children ;  Tlingit  (BBAE  39 :14)— people  vs. 
Raven;  Haida  (BBAE  29:113) — Raven  vs.  Crow;  Comox  (IS  74) — 
Ka'iq  vs.  Wolves;  Upper  Chehalis  (MAFLS  27:150)— X wane  vs. 
Wolf;  Southern  Puget  Sound  (UWPA  3 : 76)— Wildcat  vs.  Moon; 
and  Bella  Bella  (IS  233) — Raven  vs.  tree.  The  trickster's  simple  sum- 
mons to  a  salmon  to  jump  on  shore  when  he  is  hungry  is  used  again  by 
Raven  in  a  Tsimshian  myth  (BBAE  27:53). 

The  Coeur  d'Alene  myth,  as  well  as  others  of  the  versions  discussed 
above,  concludes  with  Coyote's  transformation  into  a  rock.  This  is  a 
common  stylistic  device  for  the  final  disposal  of  a  transformer  among 
the  Thompson  and  Shuswap.  For  example,  in  a  myth  of  the  Shuswap  (IS 
4),  the  four  transformer  brothers  at  the  conclusion  of  their  work  sit 
down  on  the  bank  of  the  Fraser  River  and  watch  a  girl  on  the  opposite 
side ;  they  remain  sitting  there  until  they  are  transformed  into  stones. 


9.  Story  of  Lynx 

a.  by  Tom  Miyal 

1.  Lynx  by  looking  at  chief's  daughter  impregnates  her 

2.  Baby  cries  without  stopping 

3.  People  hold  baby  as  test  of  its  fatherhood 

4.  Lynx  proves  to  be  the  father 

5.  People  stamp  Lynx  into  ground 

6.  Chief's  daughter  and  baby  deserted 

7.  Magpie  and  Rabbit  return  with  blankets  for  baby 

8.  Lynx  revives  and  smooths  himself 

9.  Chief  and  his  people  starve 

10.  Coyote  and  Raven  return  to  chief's  daughter  for  food  and  are  choked  by  her 

11.  Rabbit  and  Magpie  return,  are  fed  and  given  much  food  to  take  back  with  them 

12.  People  discover  food  and  decide  to  return  to  former  home 

13.  Damages  are  paid  to  girl  by  village 

14.  Bluebird's  blue  coat  is  missing 

15.  Bluebird's  coat  supplied  and  accepted 


110  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

16.  People  return  to  Lynx  and  plenty 

17.  Coyote  finds  nothing  but  fat  and  bones  in  his  house;  catches  two  fawns  when 
the  others  catch  deer 

Lynx  lived  with  his  grandmother  not  far  from  the  other  people.  The 
chief  had  a  daughter.  One  night  the  people  went  to  the  chief's  house  to 
a  council.  Lynx  climbed  the  poles  of  the  chief's  house  and  saw  his 
daughter  sleeping.  He  thought,  as  he  looked  at  her,  "Soon  she  will  have 
a  baby."  Not  long  after  she  had  a  baby.  The  chief  asked,  "Whose  child 
is  it?"  "I  don't  know." 

The  baby  cried  all  the  time.  At  last  the  chief  said,  "If  the  father 
would  hold  his  baby  it  would  stop  crying."  Raven  said,  "It's  my  grand- 
child." "If  he  stops  crying  when  you  take  him,  it  is  your  child."  Raven 
took  the  baby  but  it  kept  on  crying.  Coyote  said,  "Give  it  to  me.  It's  my 
grandchild."  He  took  it  but  it  kept  on  crying.  No  one  could  quiet  it. 
Everyone  had  held  it  but  Lynx  who  was  not  there  at  the  time.  The 
chief  said,  "Go  call  Lynx." 

Lynx  told  his  grandmother,  "Come  sit  on  my  back.  It's  my  child, 
When  the  people  find  it  out  they  will  kill  me.  As  soon  as  I  take  him  I 
will  pass  him  to  you.  Then  you  run  off  with  him." 

They  did  that.  Lynx  took  his  grandmother  on  his  back  and  sat  right 
near  the  door.  The  chief  said,  "Hand  the  baby  around  again.  Let  every- 
one take  him."  Each  one  wanted  the  child  but  he  would  not  stop  crying, 
"uxa,  uxa."  When  Lynx  took  him  he  stopped  crying  and  laughed, 
"gaw!" 

"Let's  try  once  more,"  ordered  the  chief,  but  no  one  could  quiet  the 
child.  When  it  came  Lynx's  turn  again  he  let  out  his  claws  and  clawed 
his  baby.  But  no !  It  stopped  crying.  The  chief  said,  "We  can't  allow 
this.  What  shall  we  do?  Shall  we  stamp  on  him?" 

Lynx  threw  the  baby  to  his  grandmother.  Coyote  took  Lynx  by  the 
neck,  threw  him  down  in  the  middle  of  the  floor,  and  they  all  stamped 
on  him  until  he  sank  so  far  into  the  ground  that  only  his  fur  showed. 
Then  the  chief  said,  "Leave  him  there !  Let  none  of  you  take  pity  on 
my  daughter.  We  will  leave  her  here  to  die."  Everyone  left.  Only  the 
girl  and  her  baby  were  there.  She  sat  by  the  fire.  Then  Magpie  turned 
back.  "Where  are  you  going?"  "I  forgot  something  which  I  need." 
"Hurry  then." 

Magpie  went  back,  took  off  his  blanket,  threw  it  down  and  cried,  "It 
is  for  the  baby." 

Rabbit  also  pretended  he  had  forgotten  something  and  took  his  blan- 
ket back  for  the  baby.  The  girl  just  sat  there  and  cried.  She  was  cold 
and  hungry.  Then  way  off  she  heard  singing.  It  kept  getting  nearer 


The  Myths  and  Tales  111 

and  nearer.  She  found  it  was  Lynx.  As  he  sang  his  fur  began  to  stand 
up.  He  slowly  rose  out  of  the  ground.  He  got  up.  He  smoothed  his  body 
down  to  his  ankles  and  wrists  and  up  as  far  as  his  neck.  As  he  was 
smoothing  his  head  the  girl  went  and  took  hold  of  him,  "Don't  do  that ! 
I  am  nearly  frozen."  "You  will  always  think  me  ugly  when  you  look  at 
me.  Let  me  fix  up  my  body.  Then  I'll  look  nice."  He  smoothed  his  feet. 
They  were  nice.  She  said,  "You're  good  enough."  "You  will  look  at  me 
and  think  me  ugly."  "No,  you  are  all  right  as  you  are."  So  he  said,  "All 
right.  I'll  make  our  house.  Let  me  go." 

He  made  a  good  house  and  built  a  fire.  He  killed  deer.  They  always 
had  plenty  to  eat. 

The  people  who  had  left  made  camp.  They  hunted.  Magpie  and  Rab- 
bit each  killed  a  fawn  but  the  rest  of  the  men  caught  nothing.  After  a 
time  they  were  all  starving.  Finally  the  chief  said,  "I  guess  someone 
better  go  and  see  Lynx."  "I'll  go,"  volunteered  Coyote. 

He  went.  He  saw  there  was  a  fire  in  the  house.  The  little  boy  was 
now  big  enough  to  play  about.  His  mother  had  given  him  a  tallow  disk 
to  roll.  Coyote  watched  where  it  stopped  and  waited  there.  When  the 
child  rolled  it  again  it  stopped  near  Coyote.  He  grabbed  it  with  his 
mouth.  The  boy  chased  him  and  howled,  "He  is  going  to  eat  my  play- 
thing." His  mother  came  out.  "What  is  the  matter?"  "Coyote  is  trying 
to  eat  my  plaything." 

She  caught  Coyote  and  choked  him.  Then  she  tore  the  fat  out  of  his 
mouth  and  gave  it  to  the  boy.  When  Coyote  got  back  home  he  said 
nothing,  no  matter  what  the  people  asked  him.  Some  days  afterward 
Raven  said,  "I'll  take  my  turn.  I'll  go  to  see  if  we  can  get  something 
to  eat  from  Lynx."  The  same  thing  happened  to  him.  When  the  woman 
choked  him  his  eyes  turned  white.  He  lay  there.  Finally  he  got  up  and 
went  back,  but  would  answer  no  questions.  "Why  are  your  eyes  so 
white?"  "I  don't  know." 

The  next  morning  Rabbit  said  to  Magpie  with  whom  he  lived.  "Let  us 
go  to  see  Lynx."  They  came  to  Lynx's  house.  They  saw  many  deer 
lights  hanging  outside.  They  wanted  to  take  them.  The  woman  came 
out.  "Come  in,"  she  said.  She  gave  them  a  lot  to  eat.  "We  and  all  our 
people  are  starving,"  they  told  her.  'Why  didn't  you  come  here?  Come 
whenever  you  want  to."  They  ate  and  ate.  "Eat  until  you  have  enough," 
she  said. 

"No,  we  are  saving  some  for  our  children."  "That  is  not  necessary. 
Eat  until  it  is  all  gone.  Then  you  will  have  something  to  take  back  to 
your  children  anyhow."  They  ate  it  all.  "I  guess  we'll  go  now." 

She  fixed  a  pack  of  food  for  them  to  take  back.  "When  you  get  back 


112  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

don't  grudge  it.  Put  it  all  down  and  let  your  children  eat  their  fill.  Then 
if  there  is  any  left,  dry  it." 

They  took  the  food  home.  Rabbit's  children  ate,  ts'a  ts'a  ts'a,  and 
Magpie's,  aninin.  The  people  asked,  "Why  do  they  make  that  noise? 
They  never  do  that  other  times."  "Maybe  they  are  dying  and  eating 
each  other." 

Lynx's  wife  had  given  Magpie  and  Rabbit  strips  of  dried  fat  to  take 
home.  This  was  the  choicest  food  one  could  offer.  The  Rabbits  were 
chewing  these  strips  with  one  side  of  the  mouth  and  pine  moss  with  the 
other  so  that  if  the  people  should  look  in  they  should  not  see  they  had 
meat.  A  person  went  over  and  peeped  in  at  the  door.  "I  don't  know 
what  it  is.  Maybe  they  are  choking." 

The  people  went  to  bed.  The  next  morning  Rabbit  and  Magpie  left 
again.  The  people  said,  "They  have  no  fire.  Go  see  what  is  the  matter. 
Maybe  they  all  died."  Raven  said,  "I'll  go." 

He  flew  over,  "tear  tear  tear"  the  people  heard  as  if  something  were 
being  caught.  He  went  in.  Then  the  chief  said,  "Go  see.  If  anyone  died 
Raven  is  probably  picking  out  his  eyes." 

The  man  who  peeped  in  saw  that  Raven  was  eating  meat.  The  chief 
said,  "Take  it  from  him  and  bring  it  to  me."  They  brought  it  over. 
"Come,  we'll  all  have  a  little." 

The  people  all  came  to  the  chief's  house.  The  chief  cut  the  meat  very 
small.  Each  person  had  a  bite.  "Now  we'll  pay  damages  to  my.  daughter. 
We'll  take  her  some  presents.  Each  of  you  put  something  in  this  blan- 
ket," ordered  the  chief.  They  contributed  cloth,  handkerchiefs,  a  big 
pile  of  valuables  of  every  kind  they  had.  "Take  it  to  her  and  say  it  is 
from  her  father.  He  wants  to  come  back.  All  his  people  are  starving." 

The  people  took  the  blanket  full  of  valuables  over  to  Lynx's  home. 
The  woman  looked  at  them  when  they  came  in  and  turned  away.  Lynx 
tried  to  be  polite,  "So  you  got  here,"  he  said.  They  put  down  the  bundle. 
"That  is  what  your  father  sent  you.  Now  I  guess  we  must  go  back."  No 
one  said  a  word.  Lynx  thought,  "It's  up  to  the  woman.  Whatever  she 
thinks  will  be  all  right."  His  wife  said  nothing.  Finally  she  got  up  and 
untied  the  bundle.  "No!  It  is  not  there,  Bluebird's  coat  of  blue,"  she 
said. 

The  people  picked  up  the  bundle  and  took  it  back  to  the  chief.  "Your 
child  said,  'No,  I  won't  accept  it.  Bluebird's  coat  is  not  there.'  "  "Go 
call  Bluebird." 

The  girl  said  to  her  husband,  "They  are  unreasonable  to  offer  me 
what  they  don't  want  themselves." 

The  chief  sent  Bluebird's  coat  over.  The  men  laid  it  down.  "Here  is 
what  you  want,"  they  said.  She  laughed.  "Go  tell  them  to  come  in,"  she 


The  Myths  and  Tales  113 

said.  They  went  in  and  saw  the  house  full  of  meat.  The  people  were  fed 
and  went  home.  Coyote  came  in.  "Just  bones,"  he  said,  as  he  untied  the 
sack  he  had  brought  back  with  him.  He  untied  another  and  found  it 
full  of  fat.  He  ran  to  the  chief  and  complained,  "I  got  nothing  but  bones 
and  fat."  He  was  told,  "I  can't  help  it.  Tomorrow  we'll  get  fresh  meat." 
The  next  day  the  people  led  by  Lynx  went  hunting.  They  impounded 
the  deer.  Each  person  caught  two.  Coyote  had  two  fawns. 

b.  by  Dorothy  Nicodemus 

The  numbers  of  the  abstract  refer  to  corresponding  numbers  in  the 
analysis  of  version  a. ;  only  the  incidents  which  differ  are  mentioned. 

1.  Lynx  marries  the  chief's  daughter  without  permission 
5.  Coyote,  Raven  and  Grizzly  stamp  on  Lynx 
7.  Magpie  and  Rabbit  step  lightly 

9.  Magpie  and  Rabbit  rewarded  with  fawn  while  others  starve 
10.  Raven  chokes  on  grease  stolen  from  Rabbit  and  Magpie;  Lynx's  wife  beats 
Coyote  and  Raven 

14.  Bluebird's  blue  necklace  is  not  among  gifts  offered  to  pay  for  desertion 

15.  Bluebird's  necklace  supplied  and  accepted 

17.  Coyote  gets  only  bones  and  scraps ;  Raven  gets  nothing  but  heads 

There  was  a  village  of  which  Eagle  was  chief.  He  had  a  daughter. 
Lynx  took  her  for  his  wife  without  the  chief's  permission.  She  had  a 
child.  The  chief  became  angry.  "I  wonder  whose  child  it  is,"  he  said. 
Coyote  said,  "It  must  be  the  child  of  my  first-born." 

The  child  cried  all  the  time.  The  chief  said,  "If  one  of  you  picks  it 
up  and  it  stops  crying  it  will  show  he  is  the  father." 

The  people  passed  it  around.  When  it  came  to  Coyote,  he  said  caress- 
ingly, "My  daughter's  child.1  You  poor  thing!  My  daughter's  child." 
But  no !  It  kept  on  crying.  Then  the  chief  said,  "Is  everyone  here  ?  No 
one  is  missing.  My !  Lynx  is  not  here.  Go  call  him."  Someone  went  to 
call  him.  He  refused  to  come.  Then  the  chief  said,  "Go  call  him  again. 
If  he  says  'No'  again  tie  him  up."  Then  Lynx  went  reluctantly  with 
them. 

The  chief  ordered  the  child  to  be  passed  around  again.  When  it  came 
to  Coyote  he  said,  "My  poor  little  daughter's  child,  sh !  sh !"  But  it  did 
no  good.  Coyote  passed  the  baby  to  Lynx.  He  took  hold  of  it  under  the 
arms  driving  in  his  claws  but  even  then  it  nearly  stopped.  As  he  quickly 
passed  it  on  the  people  looked  up  in  surprise.  It  started  again  w'd'a  wa'a! 

Right  behind  Lynx  sat  his  grandmother.  The  baby  was  passed  around 

1This  is  very  funny  showing  that  Coyote  did  not  know  the  proper  kinterm.  He 
should  have  said,  "My  son's  child." 


114  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

again.  Now  it  was  crying  less;  it  was  only  sobbing,  "uxa  uxa!"  It  came 
to  Coyote  but  his  caresses  started  it  again.  Then  it  came  to  Lynx  and 
stopped  altogether.  Lynx  threw  it  to  his  grandmother  who  ran  to  her 
home  with  it.  The  chief  said,  "Go  get  him.  Lay  him  down  in  the  middle 
of  the  house  and  jump  on  him." 

Coyote  and  Raven  were  the  first  to  grab  Lynx.  They  put  him  in  the 
center  of  the  house  and  the  chief  gave  the  word  to  start.  Grizzly  was 
the  first  to  jump  on  him.  As  the  people  stamped  on  him  Lynx  gradually 
sank  into  the  earth.  Coyote  jumped  from  as  high  a  position  as  he  could. 
Finally  nothing  but  limp  fur  was  left  of  Lynx.  Then  they  all  left  the 
girl  there  by  order  of  the  chief  and  set  out  for  a  new  camp. 

The  girl  sat  there  sadly  watching  the  corpse  of  Lynx.  One  morning 
she  heard  a  song  which  came  faintly  from  a  long  distance.  As  it  came 
nearer  and  nearer  she  realized  it  was  Lynx  singing.  Soon  she  saw  his 
fur  begin  to  stand  up  and  then  his  ears  and  body  emerged  from  the  dirt. 
Then  his  head  came  up  and  finally  he  jumped  up.  He  sat  down.  The  girl 
watched  him.  He  smoothed  himself  as  far  as  his  wrists.  He  smoothed  his 
legs  to  the  ankles.  That  is  why  his  feet  now  have  long  hair.  Then  he 
smoothed  his  body  as  far  as  his  neck.  That  is  why  his  face  is  not  smooth, 
but  looks  "gathered  up."  That  is  also  why  he  has  no  nose.  Just  as  he  was 
smoothing  himself  between  the  neck  and  chin  the  woman  ran  up  to  him 
and  said,  "Stop  it  now,  I  am  lonesome."  "But  I  might  be  ugly."  "All 
right.  I  don't  care  if  you  are."  So  he  went  to  his  house  and  brought  all 
his  meat  over.  He  had  a  very  large  amount. 

Those  who  had  left  Lynx  and  the  girl  hunted  but  had  bad  luck.  They 
tried  to  corral  the  deer  but  got  nothing.  Magpie  and  Rabbit  had  stepped 
as  lightly  as  possible  on  Lynx  and  they  each  secured  a  fawn  as  a  reward. 
As  they  took  it  home  the  woman  saw  them.  "Rabbit  and  Magpie  got 
lots  of  deer,"  the  woman  reported.  At  last  all  of  the  people  became  very 
hungry.  Rabbit  and  Magpie  said,  "Let's  go  see  Lynx."  When  they  ar- 
rived at  Lynx's  house  they  were  rewarded  with  much  food  and  grease. 
He  gave  them  food  for  their  children  and  said,  "Tomorrow  you  may 
move  back  here  and  stay  with  us." 

That  night  the  children  of  Rabbit  and  Magpie  made  much  noise,  the 
Magpie  children  on'an'an,  the  Rabbit  children  ots'ats'ats'at.  The  chief 
was  alarmed.  "You  better  go  look.  Maybe  they  are  dying  of  starvation." 
The  children  were  busily  eating.  From  one  side  of  each  mouth  hung  a 
strip  of  meat  and  grease  which  Lynx  had  given  their  parents  and  from 
the  other  side  hung  a  strip  of  moss.  The  messengers  did  not  see  the 
grease  but  only  the  moss,  and  reported  to  the  chief.  "Just  moss  the  poor 
things  are  trying  to  eat." 


The  Myths  and  Tales  115 

Then  everything  was  quiet  and  the  chief  thought.  "Perhaps  they  have 
died,"  so  he  sent  someone  to  investigate.  Raven  however  had  gone 
without  orders.  As  he  flew  over  the  house  he  saw  something  white  inside. 
He  swooped  down  and  found  grease.  When  he  ate  it  he  choked  on  it. 

The  chief  suspected  Raven  and  said  to  someone,  "Go !  I  suppose  he'll 
be  picking  out  the  eyes  of  the  dead  if  we  don't  watch  out."  The  people 
went  and  pulled  the  fat  out  of  Raven's  throat.  They  divided  it  and  each 
had  a  very  small  piece.  When  Coyote  and  Raven  came  up  to  Lynx's 
house  his  wife  beat  them  on  the  head  and  killed  them. 

The  chief  now  ordered  the  people  to  contribute  their  most  valuable 
possessions  to  compensate  for  the  desertion  of  his  daughter.  "Bring 
your  valuables.  We  are  going  to  pay  damages,"  he  said.  "Mine  are  the 
best,"  boasted  Coyote.  They  took  the  best  they  had,  tied  them  in  a  blan- 
ket and  about  ten  of  them  took  it  to  Lynx's  house  and  deposited  it  there. 
Neither  Lynx  nor  the  woman  paid  any  attention  to  them.  "We  have 
laid  our  valuables  on  a  blanket  so  we  will  all  feel  better  toward  one 
another,"  they  said  to  the  woman. 

The  woman  got  up  and  untied  the  bundle.  She  looked  at  the  contribu- 
tions of  Coyote,  Raven  and  the  others.  One  thing  was  missing.  It  was 
Bluebird's  necklace.  Because  it  was  blue  it  was  very  nice.  "No,"  decided 
the  woman,  "as  long  as  Bluebird's  necklace  is  not  part  of  the  payment 
we  cannot  make  up."  The  people  took  the  payment  back  to  the  Chief  and 
reported,  "No !  She  says,  'Bluebird  has  not  brought  his  contribution.'  " 
"Go  call  him."  Bluebird  was  asked,  "Why  didn't  you  put  your  beads  in?" 
"No,  I  didn't  think  they'd  care  for  them.  They  are  so  ugly."  So  he  gave 
them.  When  the  woman  saw  them  she  took  them,  "My !  Thank  you !" 
she  said.  "You  may  come  back  here  to  live.  Come  back  to  live  in  your  old 
houses.  Each  one  will  be  full  of  meat." 

Coyote  however  found  only  bones  and  undesirable  scraps  in  his  house 
and  Raven  found  nothing  but  heads. 

This  is  the  end  of  the  road. 


Desertion  episodes  following  the  general  outline  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene 
myth — all  the  people  leave  the  condemned  ones ;  a  kind  person  conceals 
fire  and  food ;  the  deserted  ones  prosper ;  the  starving  tribe  returns — are 
widely  distributed  in  the  mythology  of  other  tribes.  In  a  number  of 
instances  moreover  the  motivation  for  the  desertion  in  question  duplicates 
that  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  myth,  namely,  the  impregnation  of  a  girl  by 
Lynx  (or  Wildcat).  The  resultant  abandonment  in  each  of  the  com- 
parable versions  follows  the  general  pattern  outlined  for  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  story  with  the  exception  of  a  payment  of  damages.  A  listing  of 


116  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

the  myth  bodies  in  which  Lynx  (1-3)1  or  Wildcat  (4,5,6) *  elements 
are  found  follows.  Minor  variations  may  be  found:  in  the  method  of 
the  girl's  impregnation — Lynx  (Wildcat)  spits  upon  the  girl,  urinates 
down  the  house-post,  puts  hair  upon  the  ground,  the  girl  scratches  her- 
self with  Wildcat's  cane;  in  the  choice  of  the  contest  to  establish  the 
father's  identity — the  father  holds  the  child,  the  father  engages  in  a 
shooting  contest,  the  child  selects  a  bow  and  arrows ;  in  the  procedure 
followed  in  Lynx's  revival — the  girl  doctors  Lynx  but  he  is  left  with 
an  ugly  face,  the  girl  steps  over  Lynx  four  times  and  strokes  his  head, 
Wildcat  bathes  the  scabs  from  his  body,  the  girl  peeks  at  Wildcat  in  the 
sweat  lodge  the  fourth  day  and  he  is  obliged  to  emerge  with  his  face 
still  shriveled;  and  in  the  selection  of  the  kind  characters — Magpie, 
Rabbit,  Crow. 

Shuswap  (MAM  4:684;  ARBAE  31:950;  IS  9). 

Thompson.  Lynx  spits  on  a  girl  and  impregnates  her  because  of  his  displeasure 
with  her  grandmother,  Mountain  Sheep  (her  aunt  Elk)  who  concealed  her  from 
all  the  young  men  (a  continuation  of  the  Thompson  narrative  of  The  Girls  who 
stole  Dentalia,  cp.  tale  24  this  work).  (MAFLS  6:36;  11:12;  MAM  12:216,  300.) 

Kutenai.  Two  grown  sons  of  Lynx  and  Doe  prove  best  qualified  among  the  con- 
testants for  the  role  of  the  sun  and  the  moon.  (BBAE  59:287;  VBGA  23:163  and 
cp.  tale  1  this  work.) 

Nes  Perce  (MAFLS  11:195). 

Sanpott  (JAFL  46:138). 

Cowlitz  ( MAFLS  27 :  193 ) . 

In  a  second  Kutenai  version  (Dyer  ms.)  the  story  may  again  be  found 
practically  intact,  despite  the  fact  that  it  is  interwoven  in  this  instance 
into  the  narrative  of  the  girls  who  stole  dentalia  (cp.  tale  24).  A  similar 
combination  has  been  referred  to  above  in  the  case  of  the  Thompson 
Lynx  myth  but,  whereas  the  Thompson  merely  juxtapose  the  episodes 
of  the  two  stories,  the  Kutenai  combine  them  into  an  inseparable  whole. 

Young  Doe  is  kept  hidden  from  the  people  by  Frog  and  her  grandson,  Rabbit; 
Lynx  discovers  the  bark  upon  which  Young  Doe  is  accustomed  to  urinate  and 
makes  medicine  over  it ;  he  hides  a  teepee,  food,  clothing  and  a  coal ;  Young  Doe 
gives  birth  to  a  child ;  the  baby  cries  without  stopping ;  the  men  go  in  to  the  baby 
as  a  test  of  its  fatherhood ;  Lynx  proves  to  be  the  father ;  the  people  kill  him  and 
desert  Young  Doe  and  her  child ;  Magpie  gives  Doe  a  cover  for  the  baby ;  Lynx 
revives  and  sends  Doe  for  the  hidden  supplies ;  he  kills  many  deer ;  the  other  people 
starve ;  Magpie  returns,  breaks  off  a  piece  of  the  baby's  tallow,  and  is  invited  in  to 
eat ;  he  is  sent  back  to  fetch  the  rest  of  the  people ;  Lynx's  son  is  kidnapped  by  Owl 
and  Toad  but,  with  the  help  of  her  dog,  Grizzly  Bear,  Young  Doe  recovers  him; 
she  and  Lynx  have  another  son ;  the  two  boys  become  the  sun  and  the  moon  (cp. 
this  work  tales  1  and  2). 

1  These  numbers  refer  to  the  numbers  of  the  elements  in  the  abstracts. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  117 

The  Haida,  Tsimshian  and  Chinook  likewise  have  narratives  of  the 
desertion  of  a  man  and  a  woman  to  whose  union  the  people  object 
which  again  follow  the  same  general  Coeur  d'Alene  outline  though  they 
are  not  concerned  with  Lynx  or  Wildcat. 

Among  the  Haida  a  girl  and  her  lover  who  has  a  bad  reputation  are  deserted; 
Magpie  returns  to  the  deserted  ones  and  is  given  fat  to  take  back  to  her  children; 
Raven  discovers  it,  returns  and  steals  the  deserted  child's  ball  of  fat;  he  is  thrown 
into  his  cellar  amidst  hooves  and  ears,  as  is  Coyote;  the  rest  of  the  people  return 
to  plenty  (MAM  14:368). 

In  the  Tsimshian  myth  the  chief's  daughter  and  the  poor  boy  who  has  won  her 
in  a  contest  at  knocking  down  a  copper  and  shooting  a  white  bear  are  deserted  in 
shame ;  the  deserted  boy  kills  a  frog  and  gets  supernatural  power ;  the  princess 
marries  the  boy;  a  man  and  his  slaves  sent  by  the  chief  are  fed;  the  chief  returns 
with  his  people ;  the  boy  becomes  a  chief ;  he  goes  into  the  sea  in  his  frog  blanket 
(BBAE  27:145). 

In  the  Chinook  story  a  boy  and  his  sister  are  deserted  when  the  girl  is  impreg- 
nated unknowingly  by  water  dripping  from  her  hair;  supernatural  people  send  a 
whale  in  to  the  deserted  one's  beach;  Crow  and  Robin  are  fed  and  return  to  live 
with  the  brother  and  sister;  Bluejay  leads  the  people  back;  the  fifth  day  the  party 
gets  past  gales,  but  is  surrounded  by  snow;  upon  receiving  the  hand  of  the  chief's 
daughter  in  marriage  the  deserted  youth  allows  the  people  to  reach  their  homes 
(BBAE  20:51). 

Stories  of  the  desertion  of  one  person  because  of  disobedience,  dis- 
ease, or  the  like  following  the  same  general  desertion  outline  despite 
their  dissimilar  motivation  are  found  among  the  Kwakiutl; 

A  chief's  daughter  is  deserted  by  her  tribe  when  she  eats  sea-eggs  out  on  the 
rocks;  the  princess  catches  the  prince  of  Chief  Wealthiest  in  her  salmon-trap  for 
a  husband  and  becomes  wealthy;  she  dispatches  gull  with  blubber  for  her  kind 
grandmother,  who  is  discovered  eating  it;  the  tribe  gathers  mussels  as  damages  for 
the  princess ;  the  girl's  husband  gives  the  chief  food  which  runs  out  his  anus ;  the 
girl  drives  her  father  out  in  shame  (Kwakintl  CUCA  2:247;  ARBAE  31:950; 
Newettee  IS  180). 

A  chief's  son  feeds  the  people's  salmon  to  eagles  in  exchange  for  feathers;  the 
boy,  his  grandmother  and  slave  are  deserted  when  provisions  run  short;  the  eagles 
supply  the  boy  with  food ;  the  boy  drops  a  piece  of  meat  into  a  canoe ;  he  feeds  in- 
vestigators sent  by  the  chief;  one  takes  meat  home  secretly  and  his  child  is  dis- 
covered choking  on  it;  the  people  embark  for  their  former  home;  the  boy  finally 
allows  them  to  land;  he  becomes  chief  (Tsimshian  BBAE  27:170). 

Led  by  Coyote,  the  people  desert  a  bad  boy ;  the  boy  finds  fire  and  seeds  left  him 
by  his  grandmother ;  he  fishes  up  a  sea  monster  woman  who  marries  him ;  the  two 
fill  many  lodges  with  her  goods;  the  magpies  visit  and  are  fed;  their  children  are 


118  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

heard  eating  the  salmon  they  have  brought  back;  Coyote  returns  to  the  old  camp 
site  and  transfers  much  goods  from  other  lodges  into  his  own ;  he  fetches  back  the 
rest  of  the  people  {Nes  Perce  CUCA  25:356). 

Even  in  such  desertion  stories  as  have  a  setting  entirely  different  from 
that  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  Lynx  story,  the  standard  stylistic  features 
consistently  appear — someone  is  secretly  kind  to  the  deserted  one,  the 
deserted  one  prospers,  he  and  his  people  are  reunited,  the  kind  are  re- 
warded, the  cruel  punished.  Such  parallels  may  be  found  in  a  Tsimshian 
(IS  301)  or  a  Rivers  Inlet  myth  (IS  229). 

Each  of  the  myths  included  above  has  been  discussed  from  the  point 
of  view  of  its  parallelism  to  the  Coeur  d'Alene  myth  taken  as  a  whole. 
Individual  episodes  in  the  desertion  story  however  are  frequently  singled 
out  to  become  of  themselves  the  central  theme  for  complete  stories. 

The  father  test  is  the  subject  of  Tlingit,  Nootka  and  Kwakiutl  myths. 

A  woman  dreams  she  is  married  and  gives  birth  to  a  child;  the  child  cries  with- 
out stopping;  the  child's  grandfather  assembles  all  the  men  of  the  village,  then  all 
those  who  live  in  trees,  seeking  its  father  among  them;  the  child  crawls  up  to  an 
old  man  at  the  door  and  stops  crying;  the  old  man  marries  the  girl  {Tlingit  BBAE 
39:238). 

Mink  gives  a  piece  of  the  tar  he  is  chewing  to  a  girl ;  she  gives  birth  to  a  child ; 
the  girl's  father  has  all  the  men  step  one  after  the  other  before  his  daughter  and 
the  child;  the  child  will  have  none  of  them  until  Mink  appears  and  takes  it  up; 
thus  the  people  learn  Mink  is  the  father  (the  child  announces  Born  to  be  the  Sun 
[Mink]  is  its  father)    {Nootka  IS  108;  Kwakiutl  CUCA  2:495). 

Raven's  theft  of  children's  food  is  the  theme  of  Tsimshian  (ARBAE 
31 :75)  ;  Tlingit  (BBAE  39:5,  92;  ARBAE  31 :940) ;  and  Haida  myths 
(BBAE  29:129;  MAM  8:183,  208;  MAM  14:298;  IS  309;  ARBAE 
31:940).  These  stories  are  practically  uniform:  Raven  sees  children 
(Crows)  playing  catch  with  pieces  of  seal  fat  or  blubber,  joins  in  their 
game  and  eats  the  fat.  In  one  Tsimshian  version  the  children  take  re- 
venge upon  Raven ;  they  tell  him  they  dive  down  from  a  tree  to  obtain 
the  blubber;  he  dives  and  is  killed  (BBAE  27:42). 

Such  other  minor  stylistic  devices  of  the  desertion  story,  as  the  dis- 
covery of  food  in  the  village  as  a  result  of  a  child's  choking  over  it,  may 
be  used  by  narrators  in  any  variety  of  myth.  The  food  discovery  has 
already  been  met  with,  for  example,  in  the  Thompson  story  of  Coyote's 
theft  of  his  daughter-in-law  (MAFLS  6:21 ;  cp.  this  work  tale  4)  where 
Raven's  children  are  heard  quarreling  over  the  fat  which  Raven  has 
obtained  from  Coyote's  son,  who  had  collected  all  the  deer  in  one  spot 
for  his  faithful  wife  and  himself ;  upon  the  discovery  the  starving  people 


The  Myths  and  Tales  119 

return  to  Coyote's  son  and  are  fed.  In  conclusion  an  additional  typical 
example  may  be  cited  from  the  mythology  of  the  Tsimshian. 

During  a  famine  in  the  village  the  young  chief  takes  his  slaves  out  and  gets  food 
for  them;  a  slave  child  chokes  on  the  food  which  his  mother  has  secretly  brought 
back  to  him;  the  chief's  uncle  discovers  the  food;  the  slave  tells  the  uncle  of  the 
young  chief's  extraordinary  powers  (IS  298). 

10.  War  between  Land  and  Water  People 

He  who  can  break  an  elk  antler  is  to  have  the  chief's  daughter  in  marriage 

Salmon  is  successful 

War  between  the  Land  and  Water  People 

Wolves  steal  woman  from  Salmon 

Rattlesnake  traps  Salmon  who  escapes 

Salmon  burns  Rattlesnake's  house  in  revenge 

Meadowlark  helps  Salmon 

Salmon  kills  four  Wolves ;  youngest  Wolf  escapes 

Two  chiefs,  Reserved  and  Quiet,  go  hunting 

Reserved  kills  Wolf 

A  chief  had  a  daughter.  He  took  an  elk  antler  and  said,  "If  any  of 
you  can  break  this  he  may  have  my  daughter  in  marriage."  Coyote  said, 
"My  firstborn  will  be  the  one  to  break  it."  Grizzly  Bear  said,  "I  will  be 
the  first  to  break  it."  "Rrrr,"  he  growled  as  he  tried  it.  No,  he  did  not 
succeed.  All  tried.  The  Water  animals  tried  but  they  failed.  Then  the 
chief  said,  "Come  again  tomorrow  and  try."  All  came,  but  had  no  suc- 
cess. Salmon  was  not  there.  Once  more  the  chief  summoned  them  and 
this  time  Salmon  came.  They  all  tried  in  vain.  Then  someone  said  to 
Salmon,  "You  try  it." 

He  took  it  and  dropped  oil  in  the  curve  of  the  horn.  It  nearly  broke. 
The  next  oldest  Salmon  and  the  next  tried.  The  youngest  broke  it.  It 
crumpled  in  pieces.  The  youngest  Salmon  took  the  woman  by  the  arm 
and  ran.  Then  the  Water  People  and  the  Land  People  began  to  fight. 
Salmon  was  headed  off  because  he  took  the  woman.  The  three  brothers 
were  killed.  The  oldest  had  the  woman  under  his  arm.  Just  as  he  reached 
the  water  the  Wolves  caught  the  woman.  They  were  pierced  by  the  ar- 
rows of  the  Water  People — Turtle,  Frog  and  Snake.  The  Land  Ani- 
mals— Bluejay,  a  scolding  bird,  and  one  with  a  white  head — were  brave 
and  fierce. 

Frog  said,  "You  can't  spear  me.  Even  if  you  should  shoot  ahead  of 
me  in  the  water  I  do  not  think  you  could  get  me."  The  Land  Animals 
however  were  very  fierce  and  pierced  him  through.  Snake  said,  "If  you 
shoot  often  at  the  side  of  me  you  might  be  able  to  get  me." 


120  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

He  was  shot  in  many  places  and  died.  Salmon  who  was  wounded  in 
many  places  when  he  jumped  into  the  water  was  just  barely  conscious. 
Then  they  "phoned"  upriver  to  Rattlesnake  to  make  a  weir.  After  he 
finished  it  he  kept  watch.  Once  as  he  looked  at  it  he  saw  Salmon  swim- 
ming in  the  trap.  He  shot  him  in  the  head.  Ever  since  there  has  been 
an  arrowpoint  on  Salmon's  head.  Rattlesnake  took  Salmon  and  clasped 
him  to  his  chest  but  he  slipped  away  into  the  water.  Then  it  was  useless 
to  try  again  to  get  him.  So  he  "phoned"  downriver  to  Mink  and  Mouse 
to  search  in  a  canoe.  For  two  days  they  searched  and  found  only  bones. 
They  brought  them  home.  They  made  torches  of  pitch  and  put  them  in 
the  canoe.  The  canoe  was  tipped  over.  Mouse  stole  fish-grease,  rubbed 
Salmon,  stepped  over  him  and  he  became  alive. 

For  two  weeks  Salmon  stayed  there.  Then  he  went  upriver  to  take 
revenge  on  Rattlesnake.  When  he  came  to  Rattlesnake's  house  he  heard 
him  dancing  the  war  dance,  but  when  he  went  in  Rattlesnake  pretended 
to  be  crying.  "I  have  been  mourning  ever  since  I  heard  you  were  gone," 
he  said.  Salmon  said,  "You  are  wasting  your  tears.  I  wish  to  have  a 
spark  so  I  can  melt  pitch  to  mend  my  canoe."  "All  right  take  one." 

Salmon  took  the  spark  and  burned  Rattlesnake's  house  which  was 
made  of  grass.  He  died  screaming  in  the  flames.  Salmon  knew  where  the 
woman  had  been  taken.  He  went  ashore  there.  He  wandered  at  random 
crying  about  his  tribe.  Suddenly  he  saw  a  nice  little  stick.  He  stepped  on 
it,  "dnininin,  you  broke  my  leg."  (It  was  Meadowlark  who  spoke  in 
Spokan.)  "Oh  I'm  sorry,  you  put  it  across  the  road  right  in  my  way." 
He  restored  Meadowlark's  leg  and  she  went  with  him  to  Wolf's  house. 
There  was  another  Meadowlark  at  Wolf's  house  ("He  must  have  turned 
against  his  kind,"  said  the  interpreter).  He  killed  this  Meadowlark  and 
the  real  one  sat  in  her  place.  The  woman  was  tied  with  a  ball  and  chain. 
The  Wolves  were  gone.  Salmon  went  to  the  roof  of  the  house  and  waited 
with  his  sword  ready. 

Soon  Wolf's  song  was  heard,  "max,  max,  that  which  slid  on  the  roof 
of  the  house  stinks;  it  must  be  Salmon."  (This  was  spoken  in  Spokan.) 
The  Meadowlark  went  out  and  said,  "Come,  the  woman  you  stole  is 
hungry."  Four  times  Wolf  came  up  to  the  door  and  jumped  back.  The 
fourth  time  Salmon  raised  his  sword  and  cut  Wolf  in  two.  Mouse, 
Louse  and  another  pest  which  the  Coeur  d'Alene  used  to  have  (perhaps 
flea)  licked  his  blood.  Then  all  died  except  the  youngest  Wolf.  His  arm 
was  struck  but  only  half  of  his  body  was  injured.  Salmon  and  Meadow- 
lark came  back.  Salmon  brought  back  the  woman.  Because  Wolf  was 
a  man-eater  the  people  were  afraid  of  him.  They  had  a  council.  There 
were  two  chiefs  who  were  pleasant,  even  jolly,  but  who  did  not  talk 
much.  One  was  called  Reserved  and  the  other  Quiet.  They  said,  "At 


The  Myths  and  Tales  121 

night  we  will  go  hunting.  You  shout  and  say,  'Reserved  is  gone,  Quiet  is 
gone.' " 

The  two  chiefs  went  away.  Wolf  heard  the  people  shout,  "The  chiefs 
are  gone."  Wolf  knew  the  chiefs  were  fat  (he  could  tell  by  their 
names!).  He  tracked  them  to  the  edge  of  a  cliff  where  they  had  shot 
an  elk  and  were  eating.  Quiet  saw  Wolf  crawling  up.  He  said,  "Get 
out  your  weapon."  Reserved  stopped  eating,  he  was  not  afraid  but  his 
companion  was.  Wolf  was  just  about  to  strike  but  Quiet  said,  "Take 
your  weapon  in  hand."  "Keep  on  eating  and  be  quiet,"  the  other  or- 
dered. He  watched  Wolf  who  came  closer  and  closer.  Just  as  he  was 
about  to  strike  Reserved  growled  and  struck  first.  Wolf  fell  over  the 
cliff.  Since  that  time  Wolves  are  small  and  they  are  no  longer  man- 
eaters.  That  is  the  end. 

Closely  allied  myths  with  but  minor  variations  in  detail  occur  in  the 
mythology  of  the  Chinook,  Sanpoil,  Nez  Perce,  Upper  Chehalis,  Thomp- 
son and  Quinault. 

A  chief's  daughter  is  to  be  given  to  the  one  who  breaks  a  pair  of  elk  antlers ; 
Salmon  succeeds ;  Coyote  shoots  Salmon  with  a  magic  arrow ;  the  five  Wolves  steal 
the  woman;  the  people  eat  the  salmon;  Crow  nurses  a  salmon  egg  into  a  salmon; 
Salmon  names  Coyote  and  Badger  and  burns  their  house;  in  disguise  he  makes 
flint  arrowheads  for  the  wolves,  keeping  five  for  himself ;  he  shoots  each  wolf  while 
drinking  at  the  well;  he  burns  the  house  and  leaves  with  the  woman  {Chinook 
BBAE  20:77). 

Salmon  helps  Spider  catch  salmon;  Salmon  twists  four  pieces  of  elk  horn  to  win 
the  chief's  daughter ;  Rattlesnake  uses  his  fang  as  an  arrowhead  to  hit  Salmon 
(Salmon  dies;  Rattlesnake  declares  him  a  common  salmon)  ;  floating  off  in  his 
canoe,  Salmon  throws  his  wife  ashore  for  talking  too  much;  Wolf  and  his  brother 
carry  her  off;  Salmon  returns  in  the  spring;  Spider  advises  him;  Salmon  avenges 
himself  upon  Whitefish  and  Rattlesnake;  Whitefish  is  to  be  speared  by  people, 
Rattlesnake  is  not  to  kill  from  a  distance;  Salmon's  wife  gives  him  a  flint  knife; 
Salmon  kills  the  two  Wolves  at  the  spring;  Salmon  returns  to  his  wife  each  sum- 
mer (Sanpoil  JAFL  46:143). 

Salmon  catches  a  glimpse  of  a  girl  in  the  menstruation  hut;  she  goes  away  with 
him;  Rattlesnake  and  Spider  refuse  to  help  the  wolves  obtain  the  girl;  Stubby 
Rattlesnake  bites  Salmon  to  death  and  the  wolves  mash  him;  when  some  of  his 
blood  splashes  into  the  water,  Salmon  revives ;  the  wolves  carry  off  the  girl ;  Sal- 
mon sends  fish  to  Old  Man  Spider  who  is  kind  to  him;  he  drives  the  fish  away 
from  an  unkind  man;  Meadowlark  gives  Salmon  advice;  Salmon  spares  Rattle- 
snake's life  in  return  for  his  set  of  teeth  and  information  about  the  wolves ;  the  girl 
hides  Salmon  at  the  wolves'  place ;  Salmon  kills  four  wolves,  the  youngest  escapes ; 
the  girl  turns  into  a  salmon  (Nez  Perce  CUCA  25:222). 


122  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

Spring  Salmon  throws  a  princess  in  a  wrestling  match,  after  Wolf,  Cougar,  Bear, 
Wildcat,  Hawk,  Owl,  Eagle  and  Dark  Eagle  have  failed;  Wolf  kills  Spring  Sal- 
mon ;  an  egg  from  the  body  grows  into  Spring  Salmon  again ;  Spring  Salmon  kills 
the  Skunks  for  making  fun  of  him ;  he  makes  arrowheads  for  the  five  Wolves, 
keeping  five  for  himself;  he  shoots  four  of  the  Wolves,  the  youngest  escapes;  thus 
there  are  wolves  today ;  Spring  Salmon  dies  in  his  canoe  while  returning  home  with 
his  wife  (Upper  Chehalis  MAFLS  27:110). 

Humpback  Salmon  steals  a  girl  from  the  Lytton  people  for  a  wife ;  the  Animals 
steal  Humpback  Salmon's  wife  from  the  Fish  people ;  the  Fishes  make  war  upon 
the  Animals  and  are  vanquished ;  Dog  Salmon  escapes  and  never  leaves  the  lower 
country;  Humpback  Salmon's  son  attacks  the  Animals,  and  takes  his  mother  back 
home  (Thompson  MAM  12:231). 

Five  Wolves  kill  the  man  who  is  strong  enough  to  break  an  elk  horn  and  carry 
off  his  wife ;  the  man  revives  and  pursues  them ;  he  stays  in  the  Wolves'  house 
disguised  as  his  wife's  father ;  he  kills  each  Wolf  in  turn  at  the  spring ;  he  takes 
his  wife  back  home  (Quinault  MAM  4:120). 

The  above  six  versions  correspond  closely  to  the  Coeur  d'Alene  myth 
with  the  exception  of  the  final  extermination  of  the  last  wolf  by  the 
chiefs,  Reserved  and  Quiet.  In  the  Nez  Perce  and  Upper  Chehalis 
myths,  in  which  Salmon  fails  to  kill  all  the  wolves,  no  pursuit  is  made 
of  the  escaping  youngest  wolf  ;  according  to  the  Upper  Chehalis,  in  fact, 
it  is  because  of  this  that  there  are  wolves  today. 

11.  Dog  Husband 

Girl  gets  husband  secretly 

Girl's  older  sister  taunts  her  about  his  looks 

Ugly  husband  catches  ermine 

Is  transformed  into  a  handsome  man 

Girl's  older  sister  abuses  dogs,  her  sister's  husband's  kin 

She  is  left  alone  with  dogs 

Dogs  become  men  with  suits  trimmed  in  broken  beads 

Girl  deserted  with  her  two  dog  children 

She  goes  for  food,  see  tracks  of  dog  and  baby 

Spies  on  her  dog  children  and  finds  one  is  dog,  the  other  little  girl  who  abuses  dog 

Mother  defends  dog  and  lives  with  daughter  and  dog  son 

Two  sisters  lived  together.  The  elder  was  the  wife  of  Eagle  who  was 
the  chief  of  the  village.  The  younger  girl  got  a  husband.  Her  sister 
heard  that  she  had  a  husband.  She  thought,  "I'll  go  see  my  brother-in- 
law."  She  went  there  and  saw  her  sister  sitting  with  an  ugly  man.  She 
said  to  her,  "Why  did  you  choose  such  a  homely  man  ?  There  are  plenty 
of  good-looking  ones."  He  was  very  old.  He  was  blind.  He  could  not  see 
the  people,  the  Lynxes,  Fishers  or  anyone.  The  younger  sister  said, 


The  Myths  and  Tales  123 

"Shut  up!  Go  back  to  your  old  eagle.  Actually  he  has  a  long  crooked 
nose.  That's  the  kind  you  chose  for  your  husband."  The  older  girl  went 
home. 

Across  the  river  an  ermine  was  seen  on  a  bush.  Coyote  shouted,  "Go 
set  a  trap  for  ermine."  All  the  people  went  and  set  traps  and  watched 
them  but  ermine  ran  right  through  their  traps  without  getting  caught. 
The  people  came  back.  Then  the  younger  sister  led  her  husband  out  to 
try  trapping.  When  they  were  seen  someone  remarked,  "If  even  those 
handsome  fellows  can't  catch  ermine,  how  can  an  old  blind  man  expect 
to  succeed."  They  said  nothing.  They  went  past  the  place  where  the 
other  traps  were  set.  He  set  one  and  his  wife  led  him  back  home,  but 
they  had  only  gone  as  far  as  the  open  country  where  ermine  was  caught 
biting  at  the  trap. 

Coyote  cried  out,  "What  does  that  old  duffer  think  he  is  going  to  do  ?" 
The  people  ran  out  to  take  the  ermine.  The  wife  said,  "Leave  it  alone. 
He  is  going  to  use  it  for  his  eyes."  They  gave  it  to  her.  The  next  day 
the  older  sister  said  to  her,  "What  are  you  going  to  use  that  for,  that 
which  you  took  from  those  boys  ?"  The  younger  sister  paid  no  attention 
to  her.  She  went  in.  Night  came.  Morning  came.  The  older  sister 
thought,  "I'll  go  and  reason  with  my  sister." 

She  went  into  her  house,  but  saw  her  sitting  by  a  handsome  man.  She 
did  not  say  a  word.  The  wife  was  combing  his  hair  and  fixing  it  nice. 
Her  sister  said,  "You're  hurting  him,  let  me  comb  him."  She  came  up 
closer  to  the  man.  She  kept  edging  closer  and  closer  and  said,  "Give  me 
that  comb.  I'll  comb  him  myself."  Her  sister  hit  her  hands  with  the 
comb.  "Go  to  your  eagle !  Fix  his  hair  if  you  want  a  man."  But  no,  she 
sat  still.  Again  she  was  told,  "Go  back  to  your  eagle."  She  went  back. 
Soon  she  came  again.  At  night  they  slept.  The  wife  said  to  her  husband, 
"Come  let's  go  back  to  your  people." 

They  came  to  the  home  of  the  old  men's  relatives.  The  older  sister 
found  out  that  they  were  all  dogs.  She  saw  her  sister  sitting  in  the  house 
with  dogs  all  around  her.  The  younger  sister  told  the  elder  not  to  come 
near  but  to  sit  far  away  from  them.  But  no !  she  wanted  to  sit  close  to 
them.  At  night  they  ate  some  kind  of  meat.  All  ate,  the  younger  sister, 
her  husband  and  all  the  dogs.  Eagle's  wife  alone  did  not  eat  it.  Her  sister 
said,  "Eat!"  "Why  should  I  eat  like  a  dog?" 

A  dog  lay  down  beside  her.  She  hit  it.  "Stop  that!"  warned  her 
younger  sister,  but  she  did  not  listen  to  her.  At  night  the  dogs,  which 
were  all  spotted,  went  to  sleep.  Eagle's  wife  sat  up  and  kept  hold  of  a 
stick  with  which  she  hit  the  dogs.  "Lie  down  and  go  to  sleep !"  her  sister 
told  her.  At  last  she  went  to  sleep.  The  woman  and  her  husband  left 
her.  When  she  woke  she  was  crowded  upon  by  dogs.  She  jumped  up 


124       •  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

and  hit  them.  They  ran  off.  The  younger  sister  was  gone.  Eagle's  wife 
did  not  know  where  to  go.  She  cried.  She  stayed.  At  night  she  slept 
again  and  the  spotted  dogs  all  came  back.  She  hit  at  them  with  a  stick 
but  they  crowded  her. 

When  she  woke  she  heard  something  which  sounded  like  people  talk- 
ing. They  were  not  far  off.  They  were  laughing.  "My  clothes  are  all 
worn  out  because  I  was  beaten.  The  beads  are  all  broken  and  lost/'  said 
one.  Another  said,  "My  necklace  is  worn  because  I  was  beaten  so." 
They  laughed  again.  A  third  said,  "My  bracelet  is  in  shreds.  She  beat 
me  up  terribly."  "My  earrings  are  ruined,"  said  another  and  they 
laughed  again. 

Suddenly  they  were  gone.  The  girl  got  up  and  looked.  She  saw  they 
had  a  fire  and  men  were  standing  around  it.  All  their  clothes,  their  moc- 
casins and  trousers  were  embroidered  in  beads.  She  went  in  and  thought, 
"They  are  people.  I  will  not  beat  them  anymore." 

She  lay  down.  They  went  into  the  sweathouse.  By  daybreak  all  was 
quiet.  She  thought,  "I'll  go  see."  Where  the  men  had  been  standing 
there  were  only  broken  white  beads.1  She  went  back  in  and  cried.  The 
dogs  were  gone;  they  were  people.  She  stayed  there  alone  and  cried. 
After  some  time  she  gave  birth  to  children.  They  were  dogs.  She 
thought,  "I  won't  leave  them,  I'll  take  care  of  them."  She  covered  them 
and  warmed  them. 

In  the  morning  she  would  go  out,  travel  about  and  come  back.  She 
would  feed  them  and  go  out  again.  Once  when  she  went  to  the  fireplace 
she  saw  the  tracks  of  little  people  with  those  of  the  puppies.  She  thought, 
"Someone  must  have  been  here  who  had  a  baby." 

The  next  day  she  went  out  again.  When  she  came  back  she  saw  the 
baby  tracks  with  those  of  the  dog  and  thought,  "Why  did  that  person 
come  with  its  dog?"  She  looked  at  her  own  pups  and  saw  they  were  all 
right.  At  last  she  decided  to  spy  on  them.  She  went  into  a  corner  and 
covered  herself  with  a  blanket  leaving  only  a  hole  just  big  enough  for 
eyes.  There  she  kept  watch.  She  heard  her  dogs  say,  "It's  about  time  for 
us  to  play."  One,  a  little  girl,  said,  "I'll  see  where  our  mother  is."  She 
went  out.  Soon  she  came  back  and  said,  "It's  all  right.  She's  gone." 

The  mother  saw  her  lead  a  little  dog  around  the  fire  by  a  rope  which 
was  fastened  around  his  neck.  She  said  to  him  in  her  language,  "tcinu- 
ninu'nununi"  and  he  answered  in  his  language,  "tcitcitcinunu."  She  hit 
him.  As  they  were  running  she  said  it  again  and  he  answered.  She  hit 
him  again.  Then  their  mother  jumped  up.  She  took  hold  of  the  girl  and 
said,  "Stop!"  She  answered,  "No,  I'm  very  lonesome.  I'm  trying  to 

*The  spots  on  the  dogs  were  beads. 


,  The  Myths  and  Tales  125 

teach  him  to  be  a  little  person  too."  "No !  It  will  be  all  right  this  way. 
He  will  be  our  dog,  but  we  will  be  kind  to  him."  Then  the  mother  lived 
with  her  daughter  who  was  a  person  and  her  son  who  was  a  dog.  That 
is  all  that  I  know ! 
The  end  of  the  trail. 

The  Coeur  d'Alene  setting  for  the  widely  distributed  Dog  Husband 
narrative  was  not  found  duplicated  in  the  territory  covered  by  this  anal- 
ysis. The  Coeur  d'Alene  combine  a  Deformed  Transformed  episode 
with  the  Dog  Husband  one  and  use  the  former  as  the  background  for 
the  latter,  which  further  does  not  terminate  in  any  decisive  ending  as  in 
the  Dog  Husband  stories  of  other  tribes. 

Comparable  parallels  to  the  acceptance  of  an  ugly  husband  who  forth- 
with demonstrates  great  power  and  becomes  transformed  in  due  course 
into  a  handsome  man  to  the  jealousy  of  all  the  people  are  found  in  the 
form  of  distinct  myths  with  no  association  with  Dog  Husband  episodes 
in  the  mythology  of  the  Thompson,  Sahaptin,  Okanagon  and  Chilcotin 
tribes.  The  Thompson  and  Chilcotin  also  have  independent  Dog  Hus- 
band stories. 

A  woman  marries  Tsa'au'z,  who  is  dressed  in  a  garment  of  sores;  the  people 
taunt  her  and  him ;  at  night  he  puts  on  clothes  covered  with  dentalia,  which  drop  off 
making  his  parents-in-law  rich ;  he  kicks  down  four  trees  and  supplies  all  the  houses 
with  wood;  he  is  successful  on  the  hunt  and  carries  home  in  his  gloves  meat  which 
fills  the  houses ;  his  brothers-in-law  fail  to  destroy  his  garment  of  sores  by  burning 
it;  the  garment  turns  into  fog  (his  wife  burns  up  his  sore  skin)  ;  he  returns  home 
handsome  {Thompson  MAM  12:267,  373;  MAFLS  11:29). 

In  the  Sahaptin  version  the  Coeur  d'Alene  element  of  the  disagree- 
ment between  the  sisters  about  the  younger's  husband  is  met  with: 

Walaetitsa,  ugly  and  dirty,  wins  the  shooting  contest  in  which  Eagle's  two  daugh- 
ters are  at  stake;  the  younger  girl  goes  with  Walaetitsa,  the  elder  goes  to  Raven; 
the  elder  girl  taunts  the  younger ;  Walaetitsa  becomes  clean  and  handsome  and  the 
most  successful  hunter;  Raven  is  vanquished  (MAFLS  11:159). 

Sun,  disguised  as  a  dirty  boy,  comes  to  earth,  accompanied  by  his  sister,  Star, 
who  masquerades  as  a  feeble  old  woman,  in  order  to  win  a  chief's  two  daughters; 
Dirty  Boy  wins  a  shooting  and  a  hunting  contest ;  the  chief's  younger  daughter 
waits  upon  him;  Sun  and  Star  resume  their  beautiful  forms;  Sun  supplies  the 
starving  tribe  with  much  food  from  the  hunt  {Okanagon  MAFLS  11 :85). 

In  each  of  the  above  versions  emphasis  is  placed  upon  the  scorn  with 
which  the  deformed  youth  and  his  wife  are  regarded  and  the  great 
powers  which  he  in  turn  reveals,  as  well  as  upon  the  faithfulness  of  his 


126  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

wife,  who  is  ultimately  rewarded  by  having  the  most  handsome  husband. 
In  the  Chile otin  version,  on  the  other  hand,  the  ugly,  weak  boy  pulled 
out  of  the  water  makes  his  way  alone  and  marries  the  two  sisters  who 
rescue  him  only  after  Raven  has  destroyed  his  slime  shirt.  In  his  un- 
sightly disguise  he  locates  wood  and  supplies  snowshoes  for  the  tribe 
and  kills  many  caribou  when  the  other  hunters  return  empty-handed 
(MAM  4:37). 

The  Dog  Husband  episode  in  its  wide  distribution  usually  appears  in 
a  highly  uniform,  well-defined  form;  the  Coeur  d'Alene  treatment  fits 
into  this  general  grouping,  although  it  shows  more  deviation  than  usual. 
The  general  outline  for  the  story  everywhere  includes :  A  girl  who  re- 
fuses suitors  is  impregnated  by  her  own  or  her  father's  dog  and  gives 
birth  to  pups.  The  people  desert  the  girl.  The  mother  discovers  the 
pups  are  human  children  and  burns  their  dog-skins.  The  boys  become 
great  hunters.  The  starving  tribe  returns.  (The  desertion  episode  fol- 
lows the  pattern  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  desertion  in  the  "Story  of  Lynx," 
tale  9,  with  its  stylistic  elements  of  reward  for  those  who  help  the  de- 
serted ones  and  punishment  for  those  who  recommend  the  desertion  and 
show  cruelty.)  There  follows  a  list  of  the  tribes  which  tell  the  Dog  Hus- 
band story;  only  significant  major  variations  have  been  specially  noted: 

Quileute— eight  dog  children  (CUCA  12:131,  137). 

Thompson — four  dog  children  or  three  male  pups,  one  female;  the  female  pup 
escapes  the  medicine  thrown  at  it  and  remains  a  dog  (MAFLS  6 :62 ;  MAM  12 :354 ; 
MAFLS  11:30). 

Lower  Fraser  River — eleven  pups,  five  male,  six  female;  one  black  and  white 
female  remains  a  dog;  the  dog  husband  who  was  beaten  almost  to  death  is  healed 
and  returns  to  his  wife  as  a  great  hunter  (MAFLS  11:130;  six  dog  children 
(IS  25). 

Kathlantet — a  girl  sleeps  with  her  bitch ;  the  people  kill  it  and  feed  her  its  fat ; 
she  begets  five  male  pups,  one  female  (BBAE  26:156). 

Tlingit — a  woman's  husband  kills  all  her  children ;  the  woman  has  a  litter  of  pups 
by  her  dog  in  revenge ;  the  four  male  pup-skins  are  burned  and  they  become  power- 
ful shamans;  the  female  remains  a  dog  (BBAE  39:100). 

Quinault — four  male  pups,  one  female  (MAM  4:127). 

Chile  otin — three  pups ;  their  mother  burns  their  blankets,  but  their  dog  father 
escapes  with  one-half  of  his  and  remains  half  man,  half  dog  (MAM  4:8). 

Ts'ets'a'ut — two  male  dog  children,  one  female;  the  girl  snatches  her  dog-skin 
from  the  fire  and  remains  a  dog  (JAFL  10:37). 


The  Myths  and  Tales  127 

Haida — nine  male  pups,  one  female  (MAM  8:191). 

Nootka — ten  dog  children;  when  the  people  attempt  to  return  to  their  former 
home,  the  ten  boys  produce  a  big  wind  and  the  people  drown;  they  become  islands 
(IS  114). 

Bella  Coola — four  male  dog  children,  one  female;  the  female  remains  a  dog;  in 
a  storm  all  the  returning  people  except  the  kind  grandmother  are  drowned  (all  the 
people  except  the  woman's  parents,  brothers  and  sisters  are  permitted  to  return) 
(IS  264-5). 

Yookilta — two  of  the  ten  boys  slip  back  into  their  dog-skins  and  remain  dogs ;  the 
death-bringer  is  waved  at  the  returning  tribe  and,  with  the  exception  of  the  girl's 
grandmother  who  had  provided  her  with  coals  and  food,  the  people  turn  into  stone 
(IS  132). 

Upper  Chehalis — four  male  pups,  one  female  (MAFLS  27:96,  98)  ;  five  male,  one 
female  (MAFLS  27:99,  103). 

Humptulip — two  female  pups,  three  male;  when  the  five  pups  become  people, 
their  mother  declares  they  shall  be  a  disgrace  to  their  tribe ;  she  beats  the  old  dog, 
her  husband,  and  leaves  with  the  two  girls  (MAFLS  27:328). 

Rivers  Inlet — the  woman  marries  a  bear  and  has  four  bear  children,  two  male 
and  two  female ;  she  takes  off  the  bear  skins  of  all  but  the  youngest  daughter,  who 
goes  away  into  the  woods ;  the  mother  and  her  three  children  return  to  her  people ; 
she  rejuvenates  her  parents  and  all  the  old  people  and  distributes  much  food  and 
skins  (IS  227). 

Comox — the  rejected  suitor  chews  tar  and  gives  the  girl  a  piece  to  swallow; 
seven  dogs,  one  female;  the  girl  child  snatches  her  dog  coat  out  of  the  fire  in  time 
to  save  one  corner  of  it;  her  left  hand  remains  a  dog's  paw  (IS  93). 

The  Coeur  d'Alene  element  of  the  abuse  of  the  dog  child  by  the  human 
child  is  encountered  in  additional  myths  of  the  Thompson  and  Shuswap : 

A  girl,  impregnated  by  her  father's  dog,  has  a  male  and  a  female  pup ;  the  people 
are  ashamed  and  leave  her;  she  throws  medicine  on  the  pups,  striking  only  the  boy; 
the  girl  gets  into  her  dog-skin  and  remains  a  dog ;  the  mother  instructs  her  son  not 
to  beat  the  dog;  the  boy  disobeys;  the  dog  turns  into  a  golden  plover  and  flies 
away  {Thompson  MAM  12:354). 

The  children  of  Fish  and  Frog  visit  their  grandmother,  Grizzly  Bear;  Grizzly 
Bear  throws  medicine  at  them;  the  boy  takes  human  form;  the  girl,  barely 
sprinkled  by  the  herb  liquid,  becomes  a  small  female  dog ;  the  boy  thrashes  the  dog 
for  eating  his  game;  the  dog  runs  away  into  the  mountains  (the  dog  assumes 
human,  fish-bear  or  chickadee  form  and  runs  away  to  the  sky)  (Shuswap  MAM 
4:693;  Thompson  MAM  12:356). 


128  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

The  discrepancy  between  the  above  Dog  Husband  versions  and  the 
Coeur  d'Alene  account,  all  of  which  have  some  element  of  desertion 
and  transformation  in  common,  lies  in  the  abrupt,  unorientated  conclu- 
sion of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  myth. 

A  Wasco  myth  which  does  not  fit  into  the  typical  Dog  Husband  out- 
line, is  abstracted  below  in  conclusion  to  show  its  use  of  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  feature  of  the  family  of  dog-folk. 

A  woman  follows  a  dog  who  has  stolen  her  paint;  the  woman  spends  the  night 
in  a  house  occupied  by  dogs;  the  dogs  become  men  who  complain  of  the  woman's 
slaps ;  the  woman's  dog-man  guide  marries  her ;  accompanied  by  her  husband  and 
her  child,  she  visits  her  parents ;  she  looks  at  other  men ;  her  husband  leaves  her 
(PAES  2:253). 

12.  Coyote  and  Fox  Gamble  with  the  Fish 

Coyote  teasingly  invites  Fish  to  be  his  guests 

Fish  arrive,  gamble  and  win 

Fish  invite  Coyote  and  Fox  to  gamble  in  water 

Coyote  accuses  Fox  of  cheating 

Coyote  and  Fox  win  and  return  home 

Coyote  and  his  friend,  Fox,  had  a  house.  Coyote  had  a  daughter. 
Every  day  the  men  went  to  catch  pheasants.  They  always  brought  many 
home.  One  night  after  eating  Coyote  went  down  to  the  water.  As  he  sat 
idly  on  the  bank  he  saw  fish  deep  in  the  water.  "We  ought  to  be  doing 
something  to  pass  the  time.  Tell  your  elders  to  visit  us."  The  little  fish 
apparently  paid  no  attention  to  him.  "Do  you  hear?  I  am  talking  to  you." 
They  said  nothing.  Coyote  went  home. 

Not  long  after  as  he  and  Fox  were  sitting  quietly  at  home  they  heard 
a  sound  as  of  many  people  approaching.  Fox  saw  ten  boats  full  of 
people  rise  to  the  surface  of  the  water.  The  little  fish  had  said,  "Here, 
you  people !  Coyote  told  us  to  invite  you  to  come."  The  grownups  an- 
swered, "Ah !"  Fox  went  back  and  announced  to  Coyote,  "Lots  of 
people  have  come.  They  say  you  invited  them."  "Oh  goodness !"  replied 
Coyote,  "I  was  only  joking." 

The  people  all  came  in.  The  place  was  crowded.  Fish's  little  boy  said. 
"You  said  we  should  come  to  pass  the  time.  That's  why  we  are  here." 
"Let's  have  a  stickgame."  "We  have  nothing  to  bet."  "You  have  lots  of 
pheasant  tails."  Coyote  said,  "No,  they  are  too  high-priced."  "Is  that 
too  high  for  you  to  bet?"  "How  much  do  you  bet?"  "The  stripe  on  the 
feather  will  be  the  stake  for  each  game."1  "All  right !" 

1  The  text  here  is  obscure.  The  informant  did  not  know  the  details  of  gambling 
and  these  are  technical  terms. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  129 

Coyote  kept  count.  They  laid  out  a  blanket  and  a  shirt.  They  played. 
Coyote  and  Fox  lost.  They  played  again.  Again  they  lost.  Then  the  Fish 
said,  "We  must  go  back.  We  belong  in  the  water.  We  are  getting  too  dry. 
Let  us  have  some  contests  at  our  home  under  the  water."  "All  right !" 
said  Coyote  and  Fox. 

They  went  back  to  the  water.  About  two  days  later  Coyote  and  his 
daughter  got  into  a  boat.  "I'll  be  the  first,"  said  Coyote.  "No,  I  want  to 
be  first,"  said  his  daughter.1  Four  times  the  boat  with  its  contents 
was  to  go  down  and  come  up  again.  They  dived.  Coyote  nearly  died 
until  it  came  up  again.  He  opened  his  mouth  to  complain,  but  before  he 
could  get  his  breath  they  had  dived  again.  Each  time  he  was  nearly  dead. 

After  they  dived  the  fourth  time  they  came  to  the  land  below,  the 
water  where  the  fish  lived.  There  was  a  very  long  house  there.  One  of 
the  fish  announced,  "Coyote  has  come."  They  landed.  They  went  in  and 
played  the  stickgame.  Coyote  sang  out,  "He's  cheating  my  friend,  Fox," 
"Be  quiet,"  said  his  daughter.  "It  can't  be  helped.  You  can't  depend  on 
what  those  animals  say." 

This  time  Coyote  and  Fox  won,  Fish  lost.  Then  Fish  said,  "We'll 
play  again,  but  we  want  something  better  to  bet.  Let's  not  bet  those 
pheasant  tails.  Put  them  away."  They  laid  other  things  down.  Coyote 
and  Fox  won  again.  Then  said  Coyote,  "Let's  quit." 

They  went  back  to  their  boat  and  Coyote  and  his  daughter  argued 
again  as  to  who  should  get  in  first.  He  said,  "I'm  going  to  dive  first." 
"No,  I'm  going  to,"  said  his  daughter.  "First  place  belongs  to  me. 
The  fish  will  make  fun  of  you."  "No,  it  belongs  to  me."  She  sat  first 
in  the  canoe.  Each  time  Coyote  came  up  gasping.  They  came  to  their 
house. 

Thus  it  comes  to  the  end  of  the  road. 

Among  the  large  number  of  gambling  myths,  in  which  the  loser  wins 
back  all  he  has  lost,  there  is  one  example  in  Kutenai  mythology  of  a 
gambling  match  between  Coyote  and  Fox  on  the  one  side  and  Salmon 
on  the  other.  It  is  a  continuation  of  the  Kutenai  Coyote-Fox  story 
of  the  animals  who  stole  the  hoop  (cp.  this  work  tale  3). 

Coyote  and  young  Fox  lose  everything  gambling  with  the  Salmon  who  wish  to 
obtain  Coyote's  hoop ;  Fox  and  young  Coyote  win  everything  back  and  in  addition 
Salmon's  younger  sister  who  becomes  young  Coyote's  wife  (BBAE  59:151).  (The 
story  continues  at  this  point  with  episodes  correlating  with  those  of  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  Water  Monster  Woman  myth,  27.) 

xThey  argued  this  way  because  the  first  in  the  boat  was  the  first  to  dive.  Coyote 
always  dived  flat,  then  accused  the  others  of  holding  him  back.  Consequently  his 
daughter  wanted  to  be  first.  Since  they  could  not  agree,  the  boat  with  all  its  con- 
tents dived  at  once. 


130  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

13.  Coyote  Marries  Squirrel,  Sister  of  Geese 

Squirrel  feeds  Coyote 

Squirrel  provides  Coyote  with  teeth 

Coyote  marries  Squirrel 

Coyote  accompanies  four  Geese,  his  brothers-in-law,  on  hunt 

Coyote  breaks  calling  taboo  and  is  dropped  by  Geese 

Squirrel  kills  three  brothers  by  pointing  Coyote's  tail  at  them 

Brothers  revive,  pursue  and  kill  sister 


As  Coyote  was  traveling  he  saw  a  house  and  went  in.  A  woman  was 
sitting  there.  After  he  had  been  there  a  little  while  she  got  up  and 
cooked  meat.  He  had  a  large  supply.  She  gave  him  some  but  he  could 
not  chew  it.  He  had  no  teeth.  "I'll  put  it  away  and  eat  it  later,"  he  said, 
"I'm  too  tired  now."  He  lay  down  and  went  to  sleep,  "xwu  xwu,"  he 
slept  well.  He  had  his  mouth  open.  The  woman  saw  he  had  no  teeth. 
"That's  why  he  didn't  eat,"  she  thought. 

She  hunted  the  smallest  deer  teeth  she  could  find  and  put  them  into 
his  mouth.  He  woke  up  and  it  felt  as  if  he  had  teeth.  He  got  up.  "Now 
I'm  ready  to  eat,"  he  announced.  He  was  now  able  to  eat  all  of  the 
food  left  over  from  his  meal.  At  night  a  man  came  in,  "Oh,  my  brother- 
in-law,  here  you  are,"  he  said  in  greeting.  "Yes,"  said  Coyote  who  was 
sitting  on  the  eldest  brother's  mat.  He  then  moved  over  to  the  mat  of 
the  next  oldest.  Soon  another  came  in  and  Coyote  moved  over  onto  the 
next  bed.  A  third  time  the  same  thing  happened.  As  the  fourth  was 
saying,  "My  brother-in  .  .  ."  the  others  grabbed  him  and  corrected, 
"Just  like  my  brother-in-law." 

By  this  time  Coyote  was  pushed  up  against  the  woman  and  thus  got 
a  wife,  the  sister  of  the  men.  The  men  went  out  every  morning  and 
brought  back  much  meat  at  night.  For  four  days  they  left  Coyote  and 
the  woman  while  they  went  hunting.  The  fifth  morning  Coyote  dressed 
himself  to  go  out  and  said,  "I'm  going  with  you."  "No,  no,  we  don't 
travel  by  land.  You  can't  go  the  way  we  do."  The  men  were  geese. 
"Oh !"  said  Coyote.  The  next  day  however  Coyote  insisted  upon  going 
along.  "You'll  get  in  our  way,"  the  brothers  told  him.  "I'm  going  any- 
way." They  came  to  a  big  lake.  "Here's  where  we  cross.  You  will  have 
to  hang  on  to  us."  They  flew  way  up.  Then  Coyote  imitated  their  call, 
u'  u'  u'.  "Be  quiet !"  they  told  him. 

They  alighted.  They  hunted.  They  told  Coyote,  "You  must  never 
take  more  than  two  deer.  Otherwise  it  will  be  too  heavy."  Coyote  got 
two  deer  and  each  of  the  geese  got  two.  Altogether  they  had  ten.  As 
they  were  flying  over  the  water  again  Coyote  said,  'V  u' !"  They  told 
him  to  stop,  but  he  kept  right  on.  Then  they  let  go  of  him.  He  fell. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  131 

When  they  got  home  their  sister  was  lying  down.  "Why  didn't  you 
cook  our  supper?"  they  asked.  As  she  did  not  move  or  pay  any  atten- 
tion they  cooked  for  themselves.  The  next  day  the  three  brothers  went 
hunting,  but  the  youngest  stayed  home.  His  sister  drew  in  her  mouth 
with  a  sucking  noise,  "Listen!"  she  said,  "Don't  look  around  when  I 
come  back.  I  am  going  out." 

She  went  to  the  shore  of  the  lake  and  searched  for  Coyote.  She  saw 
him  floating  on  the  water.  She  cut  him  around  the  nose  and  down  the 
middle  as  far  as  the  tail,  then  she  cut  the  tail  right  off.  She  took  Coyote's 
skin  along  home  with  her.  As  she  opened  the  door  three  of  the  brothers 
looked  around  at  her.  She  made  a  circular  motion  with  Coyote's  tail 
and  they  fell  dead.  Only  the  youngest  was  left  because  he  had  not 
looked  at  her. 

He  sat  there.  The  sister  ran  off.  After  a  while  the  three  came  to  life. 
"We  will  kill  our  sister,"  they  declared.  "She  must  like  Coyote." 

They  took  their  arrows  and  tracked  her.  When  they  got  to  the  water 
they  lost  the  trail.  "I'm  tired,"  said  one  and  they  made  camp.  They 
heard  a  squirrel  talking.  "Kill  him,"  said  the  youngest,  "so  we  have 
something  to  eat."  The  squirrel  was  their  sister.  Way  up  in  the  tree 
she  was  standing.  "Stop  your  talking  now  or  we  will  kill  you."  Each 
one  went  out  and  warned  her,  but  came  back  and  told  the  others  he 
had  not  seen  her.  Then  one  said,  "They  must  be  lying."  So  two  of  them 
went  and  saw  her.  They  shot  her. 

The  end  of  the  road. 

Parallels  to  the  Coeur  d'Alene  myth  are  found  for  the  Sahaptin 
(MAFLS  11 :145)  and  the  Nez  Perce  (JAFL  21 :149;  CUCA  25 :331). 
In  these  two  tribes  the  sister  is  not  identified  with  Squirrel,  there  are 
five  Geese  brothers  instead  of  four,  and  the  girl  dies  when  her  two 
surviving  younger  brothers  shoot  her  in  the  little  finger  where  she  has 
placed  her  heart.  In  all  other  major  particulars  however  the  myths  are 
comparable  with  the  Coeur  d'Alene  version. 

A  Kutenai  myth  starts  with  the  usual  story  of  the  Geese  and  Coyote, 
but  terminates  in  a  Coyote-Trout  episode. 

Coyote  is  hungry  and  enters  a  tipi;  he  moves  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  woman 
occupant,  as  each  of  her  Goose  brothers  comes  in ;  he  marries  the  Goose  girl ;  the 
fourth  day  he  accompanies  his  brothers-in-law  on  the  hunt;  on  their  return  the 
Goose  brother  carrying  him  jerks  him  off  in  alarm  when  the  people  start  shooting 
at  the  Geese;  Coyote  sinks  to  the  bottom  of  the  river  and  enters  Trout's  tipi;  he 
marries  Trout,  imitates  the  Trout  children  at  stealing  bait  off  the  people's  hooks, 
is  caught  by  Fox  and  changes  back  into  a  Coyote  (Dyer  ms.). 


132  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

In  a  shorter  Haida  myth  the  Geese  tire  of  carrying  their  brother-in-law,  Raven, 
and  drop  him  over  the  sea;  Raven  sprinkles  sand,  lands  on  Rose  Spit,  recuperates 
and  travels  on  (MAM  8:236). 


14.  Coyote  Imitates  Magpie   {Bungling  Host) 

Coyote  lives  near  Magpie 

Coyote's  powers  become  winter  berries 

Berries  disappear 

Magpie  dives  for  fish 

Coyote  imitates  Magpie,  drowns 

Coyote  was  living  near  Magpie  who  had  many  children.  Coyote  him- 
self had  five.  In  the  winter  they  were  starving.  There  was  just  enough 
camas  left  for  the  children.  Coyote  went  out  and  consulted  his  powers. 
One  of  them  said,  "I'm  hungry  too.  I'll  be  serviceberries,  there  will  be 
a  lot."  Coyote  went  in  and  said,  "Go  get  the  camas.  We  ought  to  eat. 
Then  the  sack  will  be  absolutely  empty." 

When  he  said  this  his  family  looked  out  and  saw  many  service- 
berries.  Mole,  Coyote's  wife,  shared  the  camas  with  Coyote  and  her 
own  children,  as  well  as  with  Magpie,  his  wife  and  their  children. 
Then  there  was  nothing  left. 

The  next  morning  all  went  before  breakfast  to  gather  serviceberries. 
They  saw  many,  but  each  time  there  was  a  good  patch  Coyote  said, 
"No,  don't  pick  them  yet,  there  will  be  much  better  ones."  Finally  he 
said,  "Now  pick  here."  But  there  were  no  berries.  Coyote  had  done 
this  to  fool  them  by  means  of  his  powers. 

Then  Mole  and  Mrs.  Magpie  became  angry.  Coyote  only  laughed 
at  them.  "You  are  crazy.  You  should  know  we  never  have  berries  in 
winter,"  he  told  them. 

They  went  home.  Magpie  went  off  alone.  At  night  he  came  back 
with  something  tied  up  in  his  blaanket.  Coyote  said,  "What  have  you 
there?"  He  did  not  answer.  He  told  one  of  the  children  to  get  water. 
They  cooked  what  was  in  the  blanket  and  ate.  They  gave  Coyote  none. 
He  said,  "At  least  you  could  give  us  some  broth  to  drink.  How  did  you 
get  it  anyway?" 

Magpie  said,  "I  made  a  hole  in  the  ice,  then  another  not  far  away. 
I  dived  into  one  with  a  fishnet  and  came  out  the  other  with  my  net  full 
of  small  fish." 

Coyote  said,  "I  will  try  it  too."  He  made  two  holes,  took  a  net  and 
dived.  He  came  up  with  a  few  very  small  fish  in  the  net.  He  wanted 
more  and  dived  again.  He  could  not  find  the  hole  to  come  up  out  of. 
He  drowned.   The  next  day  Mole  looked   for  him.   She  saw  where 


The  Myths  and  Tales  133 

he  had  dived.  She  saw  the  little  catch  he  had  made.  Farther  on  she 
saw  the  other  hole.  "He  must  have  dived  and  did  not  come  up  again," 
she  said. 

So  the  road  ends. 

The  winter  berries  theme  occurs  in  Shuswap,  Thompson  and  Nootka 
mythology : 

Coyote  produces  winter  salmon  and  winterberries ;  Grizzly  Bear  Woman  eats  up 
her  stores  of  provisions  with  him;  Coyote  makes  winter  again;  Grizzly  Woman 
starves  (Shuswap  MAM  4:631;  Thompson  MAM  12:312;  MAFLS  6:28). 

In  the  Nootka  myth  Tlehmamit's  wife  is  able  to  provide  an  inexhaustible  quantity 
of  berries  in  winter  for  her  husband's  guests  (IS  103). 

The  Bungling  Host  episode,  the  imitation  of  the  dive  for  fish,  has  a 
widespread  distribution,  although  not  in  connection  with  the  winter- 
berries  episode  as  in  the  Coeur  d'Alene  myth. 

Coyote  unsuccessfully  imitates  Kingfisher  in  myths  of  the  Sanpoil 
(JAFL  46:177),  Thompson  (MAFLS  6:41;  MAFLS  11:6;  MAM 
12:206,  301),  Sahaptin  (MAFLS  6:165),  Kutenai  (BBAE  59:9), 
Shuswap  (MAM  11:628)  and  Columbia  River  tribes  (Idaho  Farmer, 
Sept.  18,  1930). 

Coyote  imitates  Fishhawk  in  Sahaptin  (MAFLS  11 :165),  Nez  Perce 
(MAFLS  11:183)  and  Wasco  (PAES  2:270)  mythology. 

Elsewhere  in  Sahaptin  lore  (MAFLS  11:167)  Coyote  imitates  Bea- 
ver; in  a  Nez  Perce  myth  (MAFLS  11 :183),  Otter;  and  in  a  Shuswap 
myth,  Kingfisher,  Fishhawk  and  Bald-headed  Eagle  (MAM  4:739). 

A  Quinault  story  relates  that  Bluejay's  children  are  almost  drowned 
when  Blue  jay  has  them  imitate  the  children  of  Sawbill  Duck,  Land 
Otter  and  Kingfisher  (MAM  4:86,  88,  89).  In  a  Chinook  myth  Blue- 
jay  all  but  drowns  his  sister's  children  as  a  result  of  his  command 
that  they  imitate  Duck  (BBAE  20:179). 

In  Coast  Salish  mythology  Coyote  imitates  Fish  Duck,  Bluejay  imi- 
tates Fish  Duck,  Bluejay's  children  imitate  Fish  Duck's  children,  Blue- 
jay's  children  dive  for  trout  for  Bear  (MAFLS  27:249,  344,  5,  349). 

Raven  is  almost  fatally  unsuccessful  in  imitating  Water  Ousel  in  a 
Southern  Puget  Sound  myth  (UWPA  3:39),  and  in  a  Quileute  myth 
(CUCA  12:39,  109)  Raven  and  his  wife  fail  in  attempting  to  dive  like 
Fish  Duck  and  his  wife  (CUCA  12 :39,  109). 

Mink  has  to  be  rescued  when  he  imitates  his  wife,  Eagle,  or  Hawk 
(Lower  Fraser  River  IS  44;  Comox  CUCA  2:71;  Kwakiutl  CUCA 
2:155).  O'mal  has  the  same  experience  when  he  imitates  Kingfisher 
(Newettee  CUCA  2 :239 ;  IS  177) . 


134  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

A  distribution  list  of  Kingfisher's  diving  may  be  found  in  ARBAE 
31 :699. 

References  to  additional  Bungling  Host  episodes  connected  with  water 
among  the  Osage,  Shoshoni,  Zuni,  Wishosk  and  Yana  may  be  found  in 
BBAE  59 :294. 

15.  Coyote  and  Badger 

Badger  and  Coyote  families  live  together 

Coyote  kills  Badger 

Mrs.  Badger  packs  up  and  leaves  with  her  children 

Youngest  Coyote  goes  along  carrying  Coyote's  favorite  bucket 

Coyote  follows 

Mrs.  Badger  throws  back  two  nits  which  become  two  little  girls 

Coyote  forgets  his  chase  watching  the  girls  play 

Girls  become  stars 

Badger  and  Coyote  lived  together.  Coyote  had  five  children.  I  don't 
know  how  many  Badger  had,  but  he  had  many.  As  Coyote  was  wander- 
ing aimlessly  along  suddenly  he  thought,  "I  am  going  to  kill  Badger 
because  he  is  fat."  He  killed  him.  When  Badger's  wife  learned  of  it  she 
was  sad  and  said,  "We'll  leave  here." 

They  got  everything  ready,  blankets  and  food.  They  put  the  bucket  in 
a  sack.  They  packed  everything.  Mrs.  Badger  told  the  youngest  Coyote 
to  carry  the  bucket.  Thus  she  kidnapped  the  youngest  Coyote.  They  had 
gone  a  long  way  before  Coyote  found  it  out. 

"I'm  going  to  track  them."  He  said  to  Mole,  his  wife,  "Why  didn't 
you  stop  our  youngest?"  "How  did  I  know  it?"  she  asked.  He  said,  "I 
am  going  to  beat  them  if  I  ever  catch  up  with  them."  He  went.  Far  he 
went.  As  far  as  he  could  see  they  went  ahead.  He  called  out,  "You  are 
going  to  die.  I  am  going  to  beat  you !  Turn  back !" 

They  did  not  look  back.  He  nearly  caught  up.  He  cried,  "Throw  down 
that  bucket.  When  she  said  to  you,  'Take  it !'  you  knew  it  was  the  one  I 
like  best,  that  is  the  one  she  took  from  me.  You  are  going  to  die." 

He  came  close.  The  mother  picked  two  nits  from  her  hair.  She  threw 
them  back.  They  became  two  little  girls,  tiny  beings  they  were.  They 
held  each  other's  hands.  They  played  and  slapped  each  other.  One  licked 
her  hands  and  slapped  the  other.  Coyote  laughed.  "Go  on,  slap  her 
back !"  he  urged. 

He  forgot  his  chase  watching  them  and  laughing  at  them.  He  laughed 
until  his  eyes  became  red.  The  children  made  a  noise  and  went  up  to 
the  sky  where  they  are  now  stars. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  135 

The  only  close  parallel  found  was  a  Columbia  River  myth : 

Coyote  kills  his  neighbor,  Badger,  for  food ;  Mrs.  Badger  kills  his  wife  and  three 
sons;  she  takes  her  children  and  the  youngest  Coyote  and  lights  a  fire;  its  smoke 
carries  them  to  the  sky;  they  become  stars;  Coyote  is  left  alone  (Idaho  Farmer, 
Sept.  18,  1930). 

Myths  of  other  tribes  are  analogous  in  so  far  as  the  actual  deed  of 
killing  a  neighbor,  relative  or  close  friend  is  concerned,  iut  with  this 
any  comparison  abruptly  ends. 

16.  Calling  the  Deer 

Coyote  lies  starving 

Parts  of  deer  appear,  Coyote  wishes  for  more 

Coyote  discovers  Woodtick  and  taunts  her 

Coyote  visits  Woodtick 

Woodtick  sets  places  for  two,  but  does  not  invite  Coyote  to  eat 

Woodtick  and  Coyote  live  together 

Woodtick  calls  deer 

Coyote  kills  Woodtick 

Coyote  calls  deer 

Deer  come,  but  run  away ;  all  the  meat  runs  away  in  the  form  of  deer 

Woodtick  settles  in  another  home  and  has  all  the  deer 

Coyote  starves  at  Woodtick's  old  home 

Coyote  had  a  house.  He  was  starving.  He  lay  warming  his  back  at  the 
fire.  "I  wonder  what  I  will  have  to  eat."  For  many  days  he  had  not  eaten. 
Suddenly  he  smelled  something.  "My  blanket  must  be  burning."  He  felt 
around  for  what  was  burning.  He  saw  half  a  deer  foot  lying  there  by 
the  fire.  He  wondered  why  it  was  only  a  half,  why  the  whole  thing  was 
not  there.  He  chewed  on  it  and  ate  it  all.  He  lay  down  again.  The  next 
morning  as  he  lay  there  the  same  thing  happened,  but  this  time  a  whole 
foot  was  there.  "Thank  you !"  said  Coyote.  He  chewed  it  all  up,  even 
the  bones. 

The  next  day  a  whole  shoulder  lay  there.  He  got  water  and  cooked  it, 
served  it  and  ate  it  all.  He  even  drank  the  broth.  Nothing  was  left. 
"Thank  you,  I've  had  plenty,"  he  said. 

The  next  morning  he  heard  something  fall.  There  lay  the  half  of  a 
deer  cut  from  neck  to  tail.  This  time  he  cooked  half  of  the  piece  thinking 
to  save  the  next  for  the  morrow.  The  next  day  he  decided  to  find  out 
where  the  meat  came  from.  He  pulled  a  corner  of  his  blanket  over  his 
eyes.  The  other  half  of  the  deer  fell  down.  He  looked  and  saw  Woodtick. 
She  said,  "Don't  look  at  me."  Coyote  said,  "Oh,  it's  you  who  haven't 
even  a  neck." 


136  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

She  went  away.  Coyote  used  up  the  deer  and  in  a  few  days  was  hungry 
again.  Then  he  lay  and  listened  for  Woodtick.  He  got  up  and  looked 
around,  but  there  was  no  sign  of  her.  He  thought,  "I  remember  where 
I  saw  her.  I'll  look  there  for  her."  He  went  off.  He  came  to  a  house. 
There  sat  a  woman.  She  looked  up  and  put  her  head  down  again.  Coyote 
sat  down.  He  saw  she  was  making  sacks  from  grass.  After  a  while  she 
put  her  work  away.  She  got  meat,  cooked  it  and  served  it.  She  set  the 
table  for  two.  Coyote  sat  there  watching.  She  ate,  but  did  not  invite  him. 
When  she  had  finished  she  took  up  her  work  again.  He  stayed  all  night. 

The  next  morning  she  again  set  the  table  for  two  but  ate  alone.  Then 
Coyote  got  up,  took  meat,  cooked  it  for  himself.  "You  are  not  a  real 
person,  you  don't  share  your  food,"  he  said  and  ate  alone.  "I  set  the 
table  for  two,  but  you  didn't  come  and  eat  with  me."  "Did  you  say, 
'Come  eat?'  No,  you  said  nothing."  "Did  I  not  take  pity  on  you  a  few 
days  ago?  I  fed  you,  but  you  didn't  leave  me  alone  so  I  left.  I  wanted 
you  for  my  husband,  but  you  called  me  names,  so  I  left."  "Well,  I  came 
here  looking  for  you,"  said  Coyote.  "All  right.  You  may  stay." 

After  some  days  Woodtick  said,  "We'll  have  some  fresh  meat  to  eat. 
You  go  into  that  corner  and  sit  still."  She  called,  "Deer  come !"  Soon 
they  heard,  "xumumumu,"  the  sound  of  deer  running  on  the  snow.  They 
ran  into  the  house.  Woodtick  took  the  tongs  and  pierced  a  hole  in  the 
ear  of  one,  then  of  another.  The  rest  ran  out.  She  said  to  Coyote,  "Skin 
it!"  He  butchered  it  and  they  had  fresh  meat  to  eat. 

The  same  thing  happened  again.  Then  Coyote  thought,  "I'll  kill  her, 
then  I'll  be  the  one  to  call  the  deer."  He  took  a  stick  and  clubbed  her 
over  the  head.  He  laid  her  in  a  corner  and  covered  her  with  a  blanket. 
After  a  time  he  thought  he  would  like  some  fresh  meat.  He  called  the 
deer  and  they  came  in.  He  chose  the  largest.  As  he  pulled  on  its  ear  to 
try  to  pierce  it  with  the  tongs  he  pierced  his  own  ear.  " Anininin,  I 
punched  myself."  The  deer  went  out,  but  there  was  meat.  When  Coyote 
went  out  to  get  water,  Woodtick's  spirit  said  in  Spokan  to  the  deer  meat, 
"Run  away,  deer !  Coyote  has  smoked  eyes.  Run  away !"  It  kept  re- 
peating this  in  a  voice  which  became  weaker  and  weaker. 

The  dried  meat  hanging  on  a  rock  above  the  fire  fell  down.  Coyote 
hung  it  up  again.  It  kept  falling  and  just  as  Coyote  hung  it  up  it  became 
deer  and  ran  out,  xwau  xwau,  it  sounded.  Coyote  stuffed  some  of  the 
meat  in  his  quiver,  but  deer  burst  it  and  ran  out.  Soon  it  was  all  gone 
because  Woodtick  had  told  the  deer  to  run  away.  Only  that  which  Coyote 
was  cooking  was  left.  Just  when  it  came  to  a  boil  it  turned  into  a  deer 
and  ran  out.  Then  there  was  nothing  but  bones  tied  up  in  a  sack.  Coyote 
thought,  "I'll  cook  them  and  make  some  soup.  I  can  drink  that."  But  as 
soon  as  it  boiled  the  bones  became  deer  and  ran  out.  Then  Coyote  threw 
Woodtick  out.  "It's  your  fault  the  meat  is  all  gone." 


The  Myths  and  Tales  137 

She  went  away.  Far  off  she  made  a  house.  She  called  the  deer.  Soon, 
xu  p'u  p'u  p'u,  they  came  in.  She  pierced  the  ears  of  two  and  had 
plenty  to  eat. 

Coyote  sat  and  starved. 

That  is  the  end  of  the  road. 

Parallel  myths  appear  in  the  mythology  of  the  Sanpoil,  Thompson  and 
Nez  Perce: 

Coyote  lies  starving,  wishes  for  food,  and  receives  that  for  which  he  wishes ;  given 
a  tent  near  an  old  wizard  who  brings  the  food,  Coyote  kills  him ;  the  old  man  revives 
and  resuscitates  all  the  deer-bones;  Coyote  transforms  him  into  a  woodtick  (San- 
poil MAFLS  11:103). 

Coyote  visits  Woodtick;  he  strikes  rock  eight  times,  instead  of  four,  with  Wood- 
tick's  staff,  and  the  four  deer  which  have  come  run  away;  all  the  meat  runs  away 
as  deer,  Woodtick  travelling  along  with  it;  Coyote  is  left  starving  (Thompson 
MAM  12:206). 

In  a  second  Thompson  version  Coyote  asks  to  live  with  Woodtick;  the  fourth 
time  he  strikes  more  than  once  with  her  staff,  gets  much  deer  meat,  and  kills 
Woodtick;  Woodtick  revives,  instructs  the  deer  meat  to  run  away  with  him  and 
leaves  Coyote  to  starve  (MAM  12:211). 

A  third  Thompson  version  uses  the  same  method  for  calling  animals :  a  man 
strikes  his  magic  staff  on  the  ground  and  deer  die;  Coyote  becomes  the  man's 
servant  and  eats  up  his  deer  while  he  sleeps  (MAM  12:312). 

The  food  for  which  Coyote  wishes  is  five  times  deposited  at  his  door;  the  sixth 
time  Coyote  discovers  Deertick  and  insults  him ;  Coyote  gets  no  more  food  (Nez 
Perce  MAFLS  11:184). 

In  a  second  version  from  the  Nez  Perce  the  calling  of  food  element 
and  Coyote's  greed  are  expanded  into  a  story  of  two  parts  with  more 
expository  detail,  a  myth  of  the  Coyote-Fox  cycle : 

Coyote  imitates  his  friend  Fox  and  wishes  for  five  bundles  of  food  to  fall ;  Coyote 
rushes  out  to  see  their  benefactor  who  thereupon  never  returns;  Coyote  visits  a 
man,  Deertick,  who  allows  Fox  and  Coyote  to  help  themselves  to  his  food ;  Coyote 
kills  Deertick  to  get  all  his  food;  the  venison  revives,  Coyote  is  pitched  about 
(CUCA  25:301). 

Additional  Thompson,  Kutenai,  Shuswap  and  Sahaptin  myths  contain 
similar  examples  of  Coyote's  greed: 

Coyote  strikes  the  staff  he  has  obtained  from  Gobbler  (cp.  tale  2)  on  the  ground 
and  obtains  a  dead  deer ;  he  continues  to  strike  until  smothered  by  deer  carcasses ; 
the  deer  revive;  Coyote  loses  the  staff  (Thompson  MAFLS  6:30;  MAM  12:300). 


138  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

Coyote  imitates  Panther's  calling  of  the  game,  but  shoots  it  all ;  the  animals 
make  war  upon  Coyote,  but  cannot  kill  him;  when  hit  by  a  small  stone,  Coyote 
turns  into  a  plank  and  floats  down  the  river1  (Kutenai  BBAE  59:169). 

A  starving  man  obtains  power  from  the  Wolves  and  provides  the  people  with 
large  quantities  of  game;  Coyote  steals  the  man's  guardian  spirits  from  his  house; 
the  man  goes  away  as  a  wolf ;  all  the  meat  in  the  camp  runs  away  as  deer ;  the 
people  are  left  starving  (Shuswap  MAM  4:720). 

By  running  ahead  of  a  woman,  Coyote  deceives  her  into  giving  him  meat  four 
times ;  the  fifth  time  she  refuses  and  he  kills  her ;  all  the  meat  in  Coyote's  caches 
disappears  (Sahaptin  MAFLS  11:154). 

A  man  permits  first  Fox,  then  Coyote,  to  help  themselves  to  meat;  Coyote  kills 
the  man  for  not  cooking  the  meat  for  him ;  everything  runs  out  of  the  tent ;  Coyote 
is  left  starving  and  naked  (Sahaptin  MAFLS  11:170). 

In  Tlingit  mythology  a  shaman  has  the  power  to  destroy  mountain  sheep  which 
his  uncle  calls;  when  the  shaman  dies,  all  the  dead  animals  run  into  their  skins 
(BBAE  39:270). 

The  power  of  calling  animals  is  found  in  another  story  of  the  Kutenai 
which  is  motivated  by  the  necessity  of  securing-  game  for  the  starving 
people,  since  Raven  has  hidden  the  buffalo : 

Jack  Rabbit  and  Hare  steal  the  claws  for  calling  the  buffalo  which  are  kept  by 
two  old  women ;  they  shake  them  and  sing ;  all  the  hoarded  pemmican  rolls  out  of 
the  women's  house  BBAE  59:217). 

The  calling  of  food  is  included  as  a  Bungling  Host  episode  in  various 
Plains  and  Basin  myths  (cp.  ARBAE  31 :700). 

This  general  story  type  with  its  many  variations  brings  to  mind  an 
allied  group  of  myths  in  which  dead  salmon  revive  and  return  to  the 
sea.  A  typical  example  of  the  latter  is  drawn  from  the  mythology  of  the 
Newettee  and  from  Rivers  Inlet: 

O'meatl  scolds  when  some  of  the  salmon  hanging  in  his  house  catch  in  his  hair; 
his  wife,  a  twin,  taken  from  the  grave,  forthwith  leaves  accompanied  by  all  the 
salmon  (IS  174,  209). 

Coyote  suffers  a  similar  loss  of  salmon  for  his  rash  words  in  Shuswap 
mythology  (MAM  11:743). 

1  The  action  continues  into  the  story  of  the  Salmon  Release  (cp.  tale  8). 


The  Myths  and  Tales  139 

17.  Calling  One's  Kind 

a.  by  Dorothy  Nicodemus 

1.  Men  impound  game 

2.  Each  calls  his  kind 

3.  Coyote  calls  Grizzly's  kind 

4.  Bear  burns  Coyote 

5.  Fox  revives  Coyote 

6.  Coyote  calls  Hail,  Thunder  and  Whirlwind 

7.  Many  are  destroyed 

Two  men  were  making  a  fire  corral  to  impound  game.  They  burned 
the  vegetation  in  a  large  circle  leaving  a  small  space  free  so  the  animals 
could  run  in,  then  they  could  run  out.  They  drove  many  animals  into 
the  corral.  One,  a  Grizzly  said,  "That's  my  Grizzly  kind."  Then  an  elk 
ran  up,  Elk  shot  it,  "That's  my  Elk,"  he  said.  Coyote  said,  "That's  my 
Coyote  kind,"  and  got  a  Coyote.  They  secured  a  great  many  animals  each 
one  taking  in  the  kind  he  was  himself.  Thus  Wolf  got  a  wolf  and  so  on. 

At  night  Grizzly  took  his  game  to  his  house.  Coyote  took  his  coyote 
home.  The  other  Coyotes  liked  it.  The  next  day  they  hunted  again. 
Coyote  thought,  "They  liked  my  coyote  so  much  yesterday.  If  I  were 
to  kill  a  bear  I  am  sure  they  would  like  it  much  better  than  a  coyote." 

The  next  day  he  went  out  and  called  a  bear.  It  bit  Coyote  and  was 
coming  toward  the  fire  clawing  and  biting.  The  other  animals  got  scared. 
The  bear  pushed  Coyote  up  into  the  fire  and  he  was  burned.  At  night 
his  partner,  Fox,  asked,  "Didn't  Coyote  bite  Grizzly?  There  was  fire 
all  over."  "That's  the  place  where  he  was  killed,"  someone  told  him. 

The  next  day  Fox  went  and  found  the  place  where  his  friend  was 
killed.  "Where  are  you?  You  must  be  alive."  "You  must  be  alive," 
echoed  Coyote. 

Fox  found  bones  all  scattered  about.  He  took  the  head  and  laid  it  on 
the  ground.  Then  he  arranged  the  rest  of  the  bones  and  stepped  over 
them.  Coyote  became  alive.  "Ha !  I  had  a  good  long  sleep,"  he  yawned. 
"You  weren't  asleep,  you  were  dead."  "Where  are  all  the  people  ?" 

The  people  came  up.  One  cried,  "That's  my  deer."  Coyote  had  a 
desperate  idea.  He  said,  "It's  my  Hail,  it's  my  Thunder,  it's  my  Whirl- 
wind!" "That  sounds  like  Coyote,"  some  person  said.  "I  thought  Bear 
had  shot  him." 

It  began  to  hail.  It  thundered.  The  people  went  to  the  prairie.  Whirl- 
wind came  and  blew  the  fire  in  every  direction.  They  ran  under  a  tree. 
Lightning  struck  it.  They  went  into  the  open.  Hail  hit  them  on  the  head. 
Many  were  killed. 

The  road  comes  to  an  end. 


140  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

b.  by  Tom  Miyal 

The  numbers  of  the  abstract  refer  to  corresponding  numbers  in  the 
analysis  of  version  a ;  only  the  incidents  which  differ  are  mentioned,  the 
others  are  understood  to  be  present. 

2.  Chief  orders  people  to  hunt  each  his  own  kind 

3.  Coyote  calls  Grizzly  kind  and  cubs 

4.  Cubs  kill  Coyote 

7.  Coyote  destroys  Grizzly  cubs 

Once  the  chief  of  a  village  said,  "Go  hunt,  Coyote  hunt  Coyote; 
Grizzly  kill  Grizzly ;  Mouse  kill  his  kind,  Mice ;  each  eat  your  own  kind." 

Then  in  the  morning  they  went,  they  hunted.  Mouse  cried,  "Mouse, 
my  kind !"  It  ran  up.  Grizzly  called,  "Grizzly,  my  kind !"  It  ran  up.  He 
killed  it.  Then  Coyote  called.  A  coyote  ran  up.  Coyote  killed  it.  He  took 
it  home ;  he  and  his  family  ate.  Then  Mole,  Coyote's  wife,  said,  "My ! 
That  which  we  ate  was  awful !" 

The  next  morning  Coyote  said  to  Mole,  "I  am  going  to  call,  'Grizzly, 
my  kind !'  "  Mole  said,  "Goodness  no!  He  might  bite."  "No,  I  am  going 
to  call  him."  Then  he  called  Grizzly's  kind.  He  carried  it  home  to  Mole's 
house.  The  family  ate  until  they  became  surfeited  with  the  fat.  Coyote 
asked  Mole,  "Did  you  like  it?"  "Yes,  I  liked  it." 

In  the  morning  Coyote  said  he  was  going  to  call  the  three  bear  cubs 
who  were  full  grown.  Mole  said,  "No !  They  are  fierce.  They  might  kill 
you."  The  next  day  he  went  to  hunt.  Suddenly  the  call  was  heard, 
"Grizzly,  my  kind !  Cubs,  my  kind !"  Then  they  growled.  The  people 
said,  "Now  Coyote  is  going  to  get  it." 

There  in  the  brush  the  cubs  growled.  Coyote  screamed.  He  was  killed. 
His  head  was  bitten.  The  people  all  gathered.  "Is  Coyote  gone?"  Fox 
went  around  and  asked  at  all  the  houses.  He  said,  "Have  you  seen 
Coyote?"  He  was  told,  "Right  there  in  the  brush  on  the  mountain  we 
heard  growling  because  he  called  Grizzly  his  kind." 

Fox  went  and  searched  for  Coyote.  Near  the  brush  he  said,  "My  boy- 
friend,1 proud  one,  my  boy-friend."  Fox  called  Grizzly  and  he  answered, 
"My  friend,  proud  one,  my  friend!"  Fox  said,  "Are  you  alive?  I'll  turn 
back  again." 

Then  Fox  went  to  where  Coyote  lay.  Just  fur  was  lying  there.  Only 
pieces  of  Coyote  were  lying  there,  even  some  of  them  had  been  eaten. 
Fox  stepped  over  Coyote.  He  became  alive  again.  Then  Coyote  yawning, 
said,  "My !  I  must  have  been  sleeping  a  long  time." 

1  Fox  and  Coyote  use  a  reciprocal  term  which  is  a  mispronunciation  of  the  usual 
word  for  "friend." 


The  Myths  and  Tales  141 

"You  were  dead,  your  head  was  bitten  by  Grizzly.  Look  where  you 
were  lying.  The  place  is  all  full  of  maggots."  They  went  back.  All 
gathered  in  the  morning  and  went  hunting.  Coyote  went  also.  The  people 
said,  "Look  out,  there's  no  telling  what  he  will  say.  Listen  when  he 
talks.  If  he  says  something  different  we'll  run  back."  Coyote  called, 
"You,  big  Hailstones  of  our  kind !  You,  Rain  of  our  kind,  big  as  pitch- 
forks !  You,  Wind  of  our  kind,  blow  strong !  Come  you,  Thunder  of 
our  kind !" 

The  people  ran  home.  For  a  long  time  it  hailed,  it  rained,  it  thundered. 
Everybody  was  wet.  Coyote  went  around  looking.  Under  a  tree  sat  the 
three  Grizzly  cubs.  He  killed  them.  He  went  home. 

The  end  of  the  trail. 

No  analogues  to  the  Coeur  d'Alene  Hunting  One's  Kind  story  were 
found  in  the  myth  bodies  of  the  tribes  studied. 

Most  tribes  tell  stories  of  one  kind  or  another  in  the  unfolding  of 
which  a  dead  person  is  revived  by  being  stepped  over.  The  stylistic 
element  of  Fox  reviving  Coyote  in  this  manner,  as  it  occurs  in  the 
Coeur  d'Alene  myth,  is  found  in  stories  of  the  Okanagon  (cp.  BBAE 
59:283;  MAFLS  11:72);  Pend  d'Oreille  (MAFLS  11:114,  115,  116, 
117) ;  Sahaptin  (MAFLS  11 :169)  and  Nez  Perce  (CUCA  25  :306,  465). 

18.  Coyote  Kills  Cricket  with  Elk  Fat  {Mistaken  Kindness) 

Coyote  and  Cricket  visit 

Cricket  kills  elk  for  Coyote 

Coyote,  feeling  sorry  for  Cricket,  feeds  him  meat 

Coyote  revives  Cricket 

As  Coyote  was  going  along  he  heard  a  noise  which  frightened  him, 
fa  t'a  fa.  He  looked  for  it  and  found  it  was  a  cricket.  He  said,  "Hello, 
my  younger  brother!  It's  a  long  time  since  I  saw  you."  They  shook 
hands.  Both  were  glad.  Coyote  said,  "Do  you  know  we  are  real  brothers  ? 
My  father  and  his  father,  then  his  father  and  his  father  were  related. 
So  you  are  my  little  brother.  Where  is  your  house  ?"  Cricket  answered, 
"I  have  no  house."  "But  what  do  you  do  at  night?"  "I  just  go  to  sleep 
in  the  grass."  Then  said  Coyote,  "Oh!  You  must  take  the  trail  to  my 
house." 

Then  both  went.  Coyote  returned  home  and  just  as  he  started  to  build 
his  fire  Cricket  arrived.  "Come  in!  Sit  down,"  said  Coyote.  Both  were 
glad  and  talked.  After  a  while  Coyote  said,  "I  am  poor  (humble).  I 


142  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

have  nothing  to  eat."1  "I  am  not  hungry,"  said  Cricket.  Coyote  said, 
"But  I  am  hungry." 

He  did  nothing  but  walk  around  looking  for  food.  They  went  to  bed 
and  slept.  The  next  day  Coyote  went  out  again  to  look  for  food.  Cricket 
went  out  and  ate  grass.  Then  he  slept.  Every  time  he  was  hungry  he 
just  went  out  and  found  plenty  of  grass.  Toward  night  Coyote  came 
back  with  two  mice.  Cricket  said,  "I  saw  something  good  for  you."  The 
next  day  he  said  the  same  thing.  Coyote  thought,  "You  go  and  eat  grass." 

The  grass  was  dry  and  Cricket  did  not  like  it.  Coyote  went  far  that 
day.  Cricket  found  good  grass  and  ate  his  fill.  Then  he  lay  down,  but 
soon  he  heard  a  noise  like  a  horse  walking.  He  thought  it  might  tread 
on  him.  He  went  in  another  direction  and  still  heard  it.  He  saw  it  was 
an  elk.  He  made  his  noise  fa  fa  fa.  It  frightened  the  elk.  He  looked 
around.  Then  Cricket  went  fa  fa  fa.  He  ran  off,  fell  over  a  cliff  and 
was  killed.  Cricket  was  glad.  He  thought,  'Now  Coyote  can  eat.  He  is 
starving.  He  can  have  plenty." 

Cricket  went  under  the  cliff.  There  lay  the  elk.  He  had  large  antlers. 
Cricket  climbed  up  on  the  largest  branch  and  sang,  "Tuts  tuts  tuts,  I 
killed  him." 

When  Coyote  came  home  he  wondered  where  Cricket  was.  He  slept 
in  the  morning.  He  thought,  "I  wonder  where  he  is.  Maybe  he  is  dead." 

Thinking  he  was  dead  Coyote  pulled  Cricket's  little  bag  of  belongings 
apart,  took  out  the  sinew  which  was  the  only  thing  of  value,  toasted  it 
and  ate  it.  Then  he  cried  for  Cricket.  He  took  the  sack  and  burned  it. 
Then  he  cried,  "dwd  w'd  dwd  wa,  my  brother.  Is  it  his  big  belly  that 
ought  to  be  mourned ;  dwd  wa,  is  it  the  back  of  his  neck  which  is  pitiable  ? 
Is  it  because  he  spits  ?" 

(This  song  is  repeated  four  times.) 

"Why  is  his  thigh  long?"  He  heard  someone  shout,  "Tuts  tuts  tuts." 
"Ha!  he  isn't  dead.  He  is  still  alive."  Then  Coyote  sang  the  mourning 
song  again  and  Cricket  answered  with  his  hunting  song  louder  and 
louder.  Then  Coyote  said,  "What  is  the  matter?  So  you  are  still  alive?" 
Cricket  said,  "Come  and  cut  up  the  meat  or  it  might  spoil."  Coyote  said, 
"Oh  my !  Thank  you,  so  you  killed  something." 

When  he  had  cut  half  of  the  elk  he  roasted  it  and  offered  it  to 
Cricket.  "No,  I  don't  eat  it.  Fix  it  for  yourself."  Coyote  cooked  it  and 
while  he  was  eating  Cricket  ate  grass.  His  stomach  swelled.  He  lay 
down  to  sleep.  His  mouth  was  open. 

Suddenly  Coyote  looked  at  him  and  said,  "Poor  thing,  my  young 
brother.  Here  am  I  eating  all  the  meat  I  want  and  his  mouth  is  all 

1  Formal  way  of  inviting  guests  to  eat  but,  as  is  usual  with  Coyote,  the  phrase 
was  only  too  true ! 


The  Myths  and  Tales  143 

chapped  from  eating  grass."  He  dipped  fat  off  the  meat  with  a  spoon 
and  put  it  on  Cricket's  mouth  usuts  suts  suts!  He  burst  open.  His  stomach 
was  all  spread  out  flat.  Coyote  cried,  "I  didn't  mean  to  do  it,  my  young 
brother." 

He  took  elk  sinew  and  sewed  him  the  entire  length  of  his  body.  He 
smoothed  down  the  sewing.  He  stepped  over  him.  He  became  alive.  "I 
told  you  I  never  eat  meat,  only  grass."  Coyote  was  happy  again.  He  said, 
"I  pitied  you  because  your  mouth  was  so  dry.  I  thought  I  ought  to 
grease  it." 

Then  Coyote  went  away.  Cricket  went  away. 

Allied  myths,  as  far  as  the  Cricket-Elk  incident  is  concerned,  are  to 
be  found  among  the  Sanpoil  and  the  Thompson: 

In  the  Sanpoil  myth  Cricket  kills  a  buffalo  bull ;  he  and  his  brother,  Grasshopper, 
feast  upon  it  till  Coyote  carries  them  away;  Cricket's  grandmother  pursues  Coyote 
in  the  form  of  a  rock  (MAFLS  11 :103). 

In  the  Thompson  version  Mountain  Grasshopper,  kills  Elk,  upon  whom  he  and 
his  brother,  Common  Grasshopper,  feast  (MAM  12:331). 

The  outstanding  characteristic  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  myth,  Coyote's 
unusual  kindness  which  makes  for  evil,  was  not  found  duplicated. 

19.  Coyote  and  Nighthawk  Change  Coats  {Rolling  Rock) 

Coyote  pursued  by  rolling  rock 

Nighthawk  carries  Coyote  to  safety  and  splits  rock 

Coyote  secretly  exchanges  shirts  with  Nighthawk 

Nighthawk  recovers  shirt  from  Coyote ;  rock  flattens  his  head 

In  the  morning  Coyote  went  off.  All  day  he  walked.  All  at  once  he 
saw  a  rock  on  the  ground.  He  sat  down  and  started  talking.  "This  rock 
is  good.  I  wish  it  was  at  my  house.  I  would  sit  on  it  all  the  time  because 
it  is  so  nice  and  smooth."  He  defecated  on  the  rock.  He  went  away.  He 
went  far  during  the  day.  Every  time  he  looked  back  he  saw  dust  on  his 
trail.  It  frightened  him  so  he  went  in  zigzags  because  he  thought  the 
rock  was  trailing  him.  He  went  in  a  circle ;  always  the  dust  was  there. 
He  thought,  "They  are  chasing  me."  He  ran  faster,  then  down  to  the 
water.  He  jumped  in.  The  rock  fell  in  and  just  missed  his  tail. 

Coyote  swam  across  the  river  which  was  very  wide.  When  he  came 
out  of  the  water  he  walked  a  little  to  get  warm.  He  spread  his  wet  blanket 
and  lay  down  because  he  was  cold.  Just  as  he  was  going  to  sleep  he  heard 


144  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

something  like  a  person  coming  out  of  the  water.  It  was  the  rock.  Coyote 
grabbed  his  blanket  and  ran.  The  rock  touched  his  blanket  and  tore  a 
piece  out  of  it.  He  ran  further  and  saw  a  nighthawk  flying  around. 
"Come  down  and  help  me  out,  partner,"  he  begged.  Nighthawk  came 
down.  He  said,  "Hold  on  to  my  belt."  Coyote  said,  "It's  too  little,  it 
will  break.  Let's  double  it  with  mine." 

"No,  it  won't  break." 

They  flew  up,  Coyote  holding  on  to  Nighthawk's  belt.  The  rock  called 
to  Nighthawk,  "Put  him  down  here.  I  want  to  kill  him  because  he  def- 
ecated in  my  eye." 

Coyote  said,  "No,  don't  take  me  down !"  Whenever  Nighthawk  flew 
down  Coyote  begged  him  not  to  alight.  Finally  he  flew  suddenly  down 
on  the  rock  and  it  split  into  pieces.  Coyote  was  glad.  Nighthawk  said  to 
him,  "Come,  take  some  for  earrings."  Then  he  said,  "Come,  let  me  carry 
you  again,"  but  Coyote  said,  "No,  my  chest  might  get  sore,  but  because 
I  am  grateful  I  will  carry  you."  He  carried  him  around.  Nighthawk 
went  to  sleep.  Coyote  went  slowly,  then  put  him  down.  He  looked  at  him 
and  coveted  Nighthawk's  shirt.  He  took  off  Nighthawk's  shirt  and  his 
own.  He  put  his  on  Nighthawk  and  Nighthawk's  on  himself.  He  thought 
he  looked  nice  and  said  to  himself,  "Now  when  I  go  to  Spokane  how 
nice  I  will  look !" 

He  went  away.  He  had  not  gone  far  when  he  found  himself  walking 
in  jerks  as  Nighthawk  flies.  Every  once  in  a  while  he  jerked  upward, 
each  time  higher,  but  each  time  swooping  to  the  ground  again.  Finally 
he  went  very  high,  bumped  into  a  tree  and  was  killed. 

When  Nighthawk  woke  he  felt  chilly.  He  said,  "Where  is  my  shirt? 
It  is  gone."  Coyote's  shirt  was  on  him.  "That  Coyote  is  crazy,  I  suppose 
he's  got  my  shirt  all  bloody  by  this  time,"  he  remarked  as  he  took 
Coyote's  shirt  and  trailed  him.  A  little  way  off  he  found  tracks,  they 
were  lost  and  found  again  after  a  short  distance.  Finally  he  found  Coyote 
lying  dead.  He  took  his  shirt  off  Coyote  and  put  it  on.  Then  he  went  to 
sleep.  When  he  woke  up  his  head  was  heavy  because  a  rock  was  on  it. 
It  had  made  his  head  flat.  His  mouth  was  stretched  out  wide  and  pinched 
together  on  each  side. 

Myths  which  somewhat  resemble  the  Coeur  d'Alene  story  are  to  be 
found  in  Wasco  and  Shuswap  mythology.  In  the  Wasco  myth  the  pur- 
suing rock  gets  stuck  in  mud  and  Coyote  escapes  unassisted  (PAES 
2:272).  In  the  two  Shuswap  versions,  which  belong  in  the  series  of 
Coyote-Fox  episodes,  one  occurring  among  the  North  Thompson  Shus- 
wap, Coyote  obtains  for  himself  Fox's  golden  eagle  feather  (silver  fox 
skin)  robe  which  Fox  recovers  in  turn  with  the  aid  of  a  whirlwind.  The 


The  Myths  and  Tales  145 

rolling  rock  element  is  lacking  as  well  as  the  Nighthawk  character 
(MAM  4:634,  742). 

A  Sanpoil  myth  (MAFLS  11:103),  which  in  its  essential  features 
correlates  with  the  Coeur  d'Alene  story  "Coyote  kills  Cricket  with  Elk 
Fat,"  concludes  with  the  Rolling  Rock  episode:  Cricket's  grandmother 
turns  into  a  rolling  stone  and  pursues  Coyote  who  escapes  by  resorting 
to  his  magic  power  (MAFLS  11 :103). 

Reference  to  the  Rolling  Rock  episode  as  a  variant  of  the  Rolling 
Skull  myth  may  be  found  in  PAES  2 :272,  footnote  2. 

20.  Cricket  Rides  Coyote 

Coyote  coaxes  Cricket  to  ride  him 

Cricket  tickles  Coyote 

Coyote  bucks,  Cricket's  legs  fall  off 

Coyote  was  walking.  Suddenly  he  heard  "tsututut!"  He  jumped.  He 
saw  a  Cricket,  "Ha,  my  younger  brother,"  he  said,  "Do  you  know  we  are 
brothers?"  "No,  I  didn't  know  it."  "Yes,  I  am  your  brother.  Where  is 
your  house?"  "I  have  none."  "All  right,  let's  go  together."  "No,  you  go 
too  fast  for  me.  I  am  very  slow."  "Well,"  said  Coyote  "Ride  me." 
"You're  too  tall,  I  can't  mount  you."  "Come,"  said  Coyote.  "We'll  look 
for  a  rock.  I'll  stand  by  it.  You  can  climb  up  on  it  and  mount  me." 

They  found  a  rock.  As  Cricket  was  mounting  Coyote  said,  "My!  I 
am  ticklish.  I  might  buck.  I  haven't  been  ridden  for  a  long  time.  Hold 
fast !"  They  started  off.  Somehow  Cricket  switched  Coyote.  Off  he  went. 
He  started  to  buck.  Cricket  fell  off.  He  said,  "That's  enough!  You  go 
on."  But  Coyote  insisted,  "No,  come  on.  Ride  me  again.  Put  your  legs 
under  my  arms  and  I'll  squeeze  you  tight."  Cricket  mounted  again.  "Now 
hold  tight,  because  you  know  how  ticklish  I  am." 

Cricket  rode  Coyote.  Soon  he  bucked  because  he  was  being  squeezed. 
Cricket's  hip  came  off.  Coyote  bucked  and  the  other  hip  fell  off.  Coyote 
looked  back.  There  lay  Cricket  without  his  legs.  Coyote  said,  "I  guess 
I  better  go  on."  He  went  off. 

That  is  the  end  of  my  road. 

No  parallels  were  found  to  the  Coeur  d'Alene  Coyote-Cricket  myth. 

Among  the  Kutenai  Coyote  incidentally  gives  Locust  a  ride.  The  ride 
is  interrupted  however  by  a  meeting  with  Grizzly  Bear,  whereupon 
Coyote  sets  Locust  down  at  the  edge  of  a  cliff;  Locust  scares  Grizzly 
into  falling  off  the  cliff;  Grizzly  dies  (BBAE  59:2).  The  Kutenai  myth 
fits  more  aptly  into  the  category  of  those  myths  dealing  with  the  power 
of  the  small  one. 


146  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

21.  Coyote  Snares  the  Wind 

Wind  blows  constantly 

Coyote  catches  Wind  in  trap 

Coyote  releases  Wind  on  his  promise  not  to  blow  all  the  time 

At  one  time  the  wind  blew  hard  every  day.  Then  Coyote  thought, 
"I'll  snare  the  wind.  It  passes  around  the  mountain  so  that  is  where  I'll 
have  to  go.  I'll  go  through  the  mountain." 

There  was  a  small  hill  between  two  larger  ones.1  That  is  where  Coyote 
set  the  snare.  He  went  home  and  slept.  The  next  day  he  went  to  look. 
Something  was  caught  in  the  snare.  It  had  long  curly  hair,  a  wide  mouth 
and  big  eyes.  Coyote  stood  with  his  arrow  ready  and  said,  "You  are 
going  to  die."  Just  as  he  was  ready  to  shoot  Wind  spoke,  "Don't  I  look 
pitiable.  Don't  shoot  me !"  "You  are  absolutely  no  good !  Every  day  you 
blow  around  the  houses  and  mess  everything  up.  You're  going  to  die. 
Get  ready !"  "Please  have  pity  on  me." 

"If  you  promise  me  saying,  T  won't  blow  any  more,'  you  can  live." 
"I  don't  travel  around  for  nothing."  "What  are  you  always  looking  for?" 
"What  will  become  of  me  if  I  stay  home?  What  will  I  eat?"  "What 
do  you  eat  now  ?" 

"I  really  don't  know."2  "All  right !  If  you  say,  'Four  days  I  will  blow. 
Then  I'll  stop,'  then  I'll  let  you  live."  "All  right !  I  promise." 

Coyote  pulled  the  string  and  took  it  off  the  neck  of  the  wind.  So  he 
lives  today,  but  he  blows  only  sometimes,  not  all  the  time. 

That  is  the  end  of  the  road. 

The  capture  of  the  wind  and  his  release  upon  promising  not  to  blow 
steadily  is  a  myth  theme  of  wide  distribution.  Although  there  is  a  marked 
similarity  in  the  elements  of  the  various  versions,  the  myth  in  the  terri- 
tory covered  here  is  seldom  found  as  a  part  of  the  Coyote  cycle  outside 
the  limits  of  Coeur  d'Alene  mythology.  A  Sanpoil  myth  in  which  Coyote 
takes  the  measure  of  Blizzard,  is  an  exception. 

Coyote,  aided  by  Fox,  throws  Blizzard  in  wrestling;  Coyote  decrees  blizzards 
shall  not  last  more  than  two  to  three  days  and  people  shall  no  longer  freeze  to 
death  (JAFL  46:163). 

A  party  sets  out  to  make  war  on  Southeast  Wind;  Southeast  Wind 
slips  helplessly  over  the  backs  of  halibut  into  the  war  party's  canoe; 
Southeast  Wind  is  released  upon  promising  to  provide  more  pleasant 
weather :  this  is  the  general  outline  for  the  version  found  in  myths  of 

1  Some  say  it  was  at  Tekoa  Mountain,  others  that  it  was  at  Liberty  Mountain. 
a  Perhaps  the  informant  did  not  know. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  147 

the  Haida  of  Skidegate — Raven  is  the  leader  of  the  party  of  birds  and 
Halibut  People  (BBAE  29:129;  MAM  8:183).  Among  the  Haida  of 
Masset  and  the  Kwakiutl  Chief  of  the  Ancients  leads  the  party ;  Golden 
Eye,  Wren,  makes  a  fire  in  Southeast  Wind's  stomach  to  drive  him 
outside;  Southeast  Wind  promises  four  days'  good  weather  at  a  time 
(some  summer  and  some  winter)  (MAM  12:98,  350;  CUCA  2:227). 
Among  the  Newettee — Kute'na  decides  to  get  good  weather  (IS  186)  ; 
and  in  Tsimshian  myth — Txamsem  leads  the  fish  against  South  Wind; 
Red  Cod  causes  Master  of  the  South  Wind  to-  cough ;  Devilfish  sucks 
him  out  of  his  house ;  South  Wind  promises  four  days  of  good  weather 
at  a  time  (ARBAE  31 :79). 

Additional  myths  concerned  with  the  trapping  of  the  wind  are  found 
among  the  Thompson,  Shuswap,  Chilcotin,  Southern  Puget  Sound  peo- 
ple, Nootka,  Haida  and  Upper  Chehalis. 

The  youngest  contestant  snares  the  Wind  in  his  noose;  he  releases  him  on  his 
promise  not  to  blow  so  hard  (Thompson  MAFLS  6:87;  MAM  12:330;  Shuswap 
MAM  4:702). 

Cold  winds  blow  constantly;  Fox  and  Hare  release  the  warm  Chinook  wind  of 
the  Heat  people  to  act  as  a  check  upon  the  Cold  People's  winds  (Shuswap  MAM 
11:624). 

The  Chief's  son  snares  the  Wind,  a  boy  with  a  pot-belly  and  streaming  hair ;  he 
releases  him  on  his  promise  not  to  blow  so  hard  and  frequently  (Chilcotin  MAM 
4:42). 

The  people  seize  the  blustery  South  (Chinook)  Wind;  they  stand  him  up;  he 
blows  only  a  few  days  at  a  time  (Southern  Puget  Sound  UWPA  3  :69). 

The  people  send  Winter  Robin  to  kill  the  Winds ;  Winter  Robin  sits  by  the 
Winds'  fire  and  forgets  to  return  to  his  people;  Gull  leads  the  people  to  Winds' 
house;  the  people  conquer  all  but  West  Wind;  West  Wind  promises  to  allow  the 
tides  to  change  twice  a  day  (Nootka  IS  100). 

Southeast  gives  the  people  bad  weather;  Master  Carpenter  catches  Southeast; 
Southeast  gets  back  to  his  home  in  the  sea;  the  people  stop  irritating  him  by  their 
use  of  his  sister's  name  as  a  word  (Haida  MAM  8:190). 

Northeast  Wind,  dwelling  in  the  sky,  freezes  the  people;  Southwest  Wind  leads 
his  people  against  him  from  their  ocean  home;  Snowbird  pulls  the  sky  down  for 
their  ascent;  Southwest  Wind's  side  is  victorious;  on  his  return  from  the  sky 
Snake  murders  his  sister  Toad  for  mocking  his  cross-eyes.  In  a  second  battle 
Southwest  Wind  kills  five  of  the  seven  Northeast  Wind  brothers  by  using  a  water- 
sprinkler  ;  the  southwest  wind  now  melts  snow  and  frost  ( Upper  Chehalis  MAFLS 
27:75). 


148  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

C.  MYTHS  NOT  IN  COYOTE  CYCLE 

22.  Catbird 

Catbird,  a  little  boy,  lives  with  his  grandmother 

Catbird  wishes  for  arrow 

Catbird  rides  Elk  and  destroys  him 

Catbird  sings  for  help  to  skin  Elk 

Wolf  discovers  Catbird's  kill 

Wolf  provides  moccasins  for  Catbird 

Catbird  destroys  moccasins 

Wolf  goes  for  help 

Catbird  and  grandmother  set  decoy  of  rotten  wood 

Catbird  and  grandmother  smoke  elk  meat 

Five  Wolves  fooled  by  rotten  wood 

Wolves  follow  Catbird  and  his  grandmother 

Catbird  kills  Wolves  with  hot  rocks  covered  with  fat 

Catbird  prepares  elk  sinew  for  bow  and  wishes  for  boxwood;  gets  it 

Catbird  wishes  for  someone  to  feather  his  arrow 

Catbird  lives  with  Eagles  and  secures  feathers 

Grizzly  feathers  Catbird's  arrow 

Catbird  goes  to  water  and  fishes  up  as  he  wishes — fishing  tackle,  bucket  and  fish 

Catbird  eats  all  his  fish  alone 

Grandmother  leaves  him 

Catbird  fishes  more  wishes — blanket,  knife,  dish,  woman  and  child 

Catbird's  grandfather  warns  him  against  his  good  luck 

Catbird  and  family  visit  girl's  people  under  water 

Child  eaten  by  Water  Monsters;  Catbird  and  his  grandfather  return  to  earth 

Catbird  was  a  little  boy  who  lived  with  his  grandmother.  One  day  he 
said,  "I  ought  to  have  something  to  shoot  with."  "Impossible !"  said  his 
grandmother.  "I  have  no  materials  to  make  it."  "I'll  go  look  for  some- 
thing," he  said. 

He  went.  He  came  to  a  river.  He  called  to  an  elk,  "Give  me  a  ride, 
my  father's  sister,  my  father's  sister,  aydyu  ■  •  •"  The  elk  answered,  "No, 
my  flesh  is  too  old  and  tough,  my  fat  is  coarse." 

Another  elk  came  by,  one  of  the  old  elk's  children.  Catbird  cried  to 
him,  "Give  me  a  ride,  my  father's  sister,  my  father's  sister,  aydyu  •  ■  •" 
"No,  I'm  too  young,  my  fat  is  too  tender." 

Then  the  largest  oldest  elk  was  requested  to  ferry  Catbird  across. 
"You  are  pitiable,  go  right  in  and  sit  in  the  hair  of  my  heel."  As  he 
went  into  the  water  Catbird  cried,  "alilili,  my  little  moccasins  are  getting 
wet."  "You  are  pitiful,  crawl  up  to  my  knee  where  the  hair  is  longer." 
Catbird  crawled  up,  then  complained,  "alilili,  my  little  moccasins  are 
getting  wet."  "Come  up  to  the  tip  of  my  tail,"  said  Elk. 

Catbird  went  up  where  the  hair  was  long,  but  still  complained.  Then 


The  Myths  and  Tales  149 

he  moved  up  to  the  shoulder  and  then  into  Elk's  ear,  but  even  there  he 
feared  getting  wet.  "What  can  we  do  so  you  don't  get  wet  ?"  asked  Elk. 
"Try  sitting  in  the  hair  of  my  nose."  Catbird  went  into  Elk's  nose  and 
did  not  stop  there,  but  rushed  right  through  his  nose  and  throat  to  his 
heart.  He  sat  there,  "My !  It's  warm !"  he  thought.  Elk  thought,  "That 
rascal  of  a  Catbird !  So  that  was  what  he  went  into  my  nose  for." 

Catbird  took  off  his  little  moccasins  and  hung  them  up  by  Elk's  heart. 
Then  he  did  something  to  the  heart  and  Elk  died.  Catbird  ran  out  but 
he  forgot  his  moccasins.  Elk  lay  on  the  ground.  Catbird  sat  up  high 
and  sang. 

"What  might  I  use  to  sharpen  my  knife? 
What  might  I  use  to  drop  on  the  whetstone  ? 
tsa  •  *  •  tsar  tsar  tsar  tsar." 

A  wolf  was  walking  by.  He  heard  Catbird  and  understood  instantly. 
"He  must  need  a  knife,"  he  thought.  When  Catbird  saw  Wolf  he  pre- 
tended not  to  see  him,  he  looked  past  him  and  thought,  "I  suppose  he'll 
take  it  away  from  me,  my  game  which  lies  there."  Then  he  sang : 

How  am  I  going  to  shave  my  little  arrow?1 
What  may  I  drop  on  it  to  smooth  it  ? 
tsa  "  •  "  tsar  tsar  tsar  tsar." 

Wolf  understood  him  and  asked,  "Did  you  get  game?"  "No,  I  made 
no  kill."  "But  you  were  just  singing: 

"How  may  I  sharpen  my  knife? 
"What  may  I  drop  on  my  sharpener?" 

"No!  I  said, 

'How  shall  I  shave  it 
'How  shall  I  smooth  it?'" 

They  kept  arguing  in  this  way  until  finally  Catbird  said,  "Yes,  I  got 
some  game."  "Where  is  it?"  "It  is  lying  there."  Wolf  said,  "I  have  a 
knife.  I'll  skin  it.  Go  get  your  mother's  brothers  so  they  can  come  and 
lick  the  blood."  Catbird  said,  "I  have  no  moccasins."  "Go  on,  I'll  lend 
you  some."  "No  they're  too  big."  "I'll  fix  them  for  you.  I  can  tie  them  so 
they  are  smaller." 

1 A  slight  change  of  the  word  here  changes  the  meaning  from  skinning  an  elk  to 
shaving  an  arrow.  It  is  impossible  to  render  this  satisfactorily  in  English. 


150  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

Wolf  put  the  moccasins  on  Catbird  and  tied  them  tight.  He  went  out  of 
sight,  but  only  to  beat  them  with  a  rock  until  they  were  in  shreds.  Then 
he  came  back  and  said  to  Wolf,  "They're  all  worn  out." 

"What  is  the  matter?  They're  very  thick.  How  did  they  get  all  ruined 
like  that?  Soon  I'll  have  this  elk  skinned,  then  I'll  go  get  your  uncles  so 
they  will  lick  your  (really  your  elk's)  blood." 

Wolf  ran  off  and  Catbird  finished  skinning  the  elk  and  covered  it. 
Then  he  ran  home  to  his  grandmother.  "I  got  some  game  but  the  Wolves 
will  take  it  away  from  me."  "Hurry,  take  your  basket.  We'll  take  it  far 
so  they  cannot  get  it." 

He  took  his  little  basket  and  they  ran  to  where  the  fresh  meat  was 
lying.  They  put  it  all  in  Catbird's  basket.  They  gathered  rotten  wood, 
laid  it  just  where  the  meat  had  been,  and  covered  it  with  the  elkskin. 
Catbird  took  off  his  little  shirt  and  his  little  hat  and  hung  them  on  a  bush 
so  that  it  looked  just  as  if  he  were  sitting  there  himself.  They  went,  far 
they  went.  They  took  the  meat  to  a  cliff.  Near  the  edge  they  smoked  the 
meat.  Catbird  put  five  cooking  stones  into  the  fire  and  laid  the  layer  of 
fat  from  around  the  elk's  stomach  near  him. 

When  Wolf  went  he  told  his  four  children,  "Catbird  got  an  elk.  We'll 
get  it  from  him.  We'll  run.  When  you  are  biting  Catbird  I'll  say  to  you, 
'Don't,  you'll  scare  him,'  but  don't  listen  to  me." 

The  children  ran.  Wolf  said  loudly,  "Look  out,  you'll  scare  your  little 
nephew."  The  first  ran  up  to  the  rotten  wood  and  bit  it.  They  sniffed 
and  walked  around  it.  Old  Wolf  thought,  "I  wonder  why  they  do  not 
eat  it."  He  came  up  and  the  children  asked,  "Where  is  the  meat?" 
"There  under  that  skin."  He  uncovered  it.  Nothing  was  there.  Then  the 
oldest  Wolf  said  threateningly,  "There's  no  place  on  earth  I  do  not  know." 

They  looked  for  tracks  and  followed  them  until  they  saw  smoke.  The 
children  ran  and  saw  Catbird.  Catbird  took  a  stone  from  the  fire  and 
wrapped  the  "veil"  of  fat  around  it.  As  the  first  wolf  came  under  the 
edge  of  the  cliff  he  looked  up.  Catbird  threw  down  the  hot  rock  with  the 
grease  coating  and  said,  "Open  your  mouth.  This  will  be  your  first  tidbit." 

Wide  he  opened  his  mouth.  Catbird  threw  the  stone  in.  Immediately 
he  had  heartburn.  "Your  brother,  why  just  one  bite  gives  him  heart- 
burn !"  Then  he  killed  all  of  the  wolves  with  his  five  grease-coated  rocks. 

After  Catbird  had  helped  his  grandmother  smoke  the  elk  meat  he  pre- 
pared sinew  for  his  bow.  "I  wish  I  had  a  bow,"  he  whined.  "I  wish  I 
could  be  where  the  bowwood  tree  cracks  in  the  wind."1 

"Impossible !"  said  his  grandmother.  "You  would  probably  get  caught 
in  the  crack  yourself."  "I'm  going  to  get  it  anyhow." 

1The  heart  of  the  yew  was  used  to  make  the  bow  (cp.  ARBAE  45:95). 


The  Myths  and  Tales  151 

He  went  for  it.  He  brought  it  home  and  as  he  sat  down  to  shave  it  he 
said,  "I  wish  I  had  someone  to  feather  my  arrow,  one  who  is  an  expert. 
I  wish  Grizzly  would  do  it  for  me.  I  think  he  would  do  it  well."  "Im- 
possible !"  said  his  grandmother,  "he  would  bite  your  head."  "You  are 
always  saying  'Impossible !'  Tomorrow  I  am  going  to  find  out  where 
he  is."  "Right  at  the  edge  of  the  wood  in  a  hole  he  lives,"  volunteered 
the  grandmother. 

The  next  morning  Catbird  went  toward  the  timber  and,  as  he  ap- 
proached, he  saw  Grizzly  eating.  He  said,  "Never  mind.  I  won't  shoot 
you.  I  came  to  ask  you  to  feather  my  bow."  "All  right,"  and  he  went 
back  with  Catbird. 

As  they  came  near  the  house  Catbird  said,  "Wait  here,  let  me  go  in." 
He  went  in  and  said  to  his  grandmother,  "Why  don't  you  have  a  fire?" 
She  went  out  for  wood  and  saw  Grizzly  standing  by  the  door.  She  ran 
in  and  said  to  Catbird,  "Why  do  you  do  such  outrageous  things?" 
"Well,"  said  Catbird  innocently.  "He'll  be  a  great  help.  He  is  going  to 
feather  my  arrow." 

In  the  morning  Catbird  got  the  wood  for  the  arrows.  As  the  arrows 
were  being  made  he  said,  "I  wish  I  had  some  eagle  feathers."  "Impos- 
sible !"  exclaimed  his  grandmother.  "What  would  you  do  with  them  if 
you  had  them  ?"  "I'll  go  get  some." 

He  searched  long  and  finally  found  an  eagle's  nest  with  Eagle's  chil- 
dren in  it.  The  mother  Eagle  was  away  looking  for  something  for  them 
to  eat.  She  caught  Catbird  and  carried  him  to  the  nest  and  laid  him  in  it 
alive.  When  the  little  eagles  ate  he  ate  too.  I  don't  know  how  long  he 
stayed  there,  but  until  the  feathers  of  the  little  eagles  had  grown  to  just 
the  right  size  for  his  purpose.  Then  he  tied  two  of  the  eagles  together 
and  prodded  them  until  they  flew  out  of  the  nest;  he  sat  among  their 
feathers.  They  were  not  able  to  fly  far  but  flopped  to  the  ground.  He 
then  pulled  out  some  wing  and  tail  feathers  and  went  home.  He  laid  the 
feathers  down  in  front  of  Grizzly  who  finished  feathering  Catbird's 
arrow.  Then  Catbird  sent  him  away. 

One  day  Catbird  was  wandering  about  and  suddenly  came  to  the  shore 
(of  a  lake?).  He  sweated  for  many  days.  Then  he  saw  a  fish  in  the 
water.  "I  wish  I  had  a  line  and  hook."  Some  way  he  got  the  fishing  tackle. 
He  fished  and  got  a  bite.  "I  wish  I  had  a  bucket,"  he  went  on.  He  had 
another  bite,  pulled  in  the  line  and  found  he  had  fished  up  a  bucket.  He 
cooked  the  fish  but  did  not  share  it  with  his  grandmother.  When  he  went 
home  his  grandmother  gave  him  some  food  but  he  did  not  eat.  Again 
he  sweated.  Again  he  fished.  Again  he  got  a  bite  and  cooked  and  ate  the 
fish  all  by  himself.  When  his  grandmother  offered  him  food  he  said, 
"No,  I  am  not  hungry." 


152  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

When  he  had  gone  off  somewhere  the  grandmother  went  to  the  shore 
to  investigate.  She  found  his  bucket.  There  were  pieces  of  fish  sticking 
in  it  and  on  the  bottom  was  a  small  fish  eye.  She  was  sorry  Catbird  was 
so  stingy. 

The  next  morning  when  he  went  to  sweat  she  called  to  him,  "I'm 
leaving  you.  You  didn't  share  a  shred  of  your  fish  with  me."  He  looked 
up  and  saw  his  grandmother  going  up  into  the  air  with  something  on 
her  back.  "Don't  leave  me.  Come  back  to  me."  "No.  I'm  leaving  you  for 
good.  You  didn't  share  a  bit  with  me." 

In  vain  he  implored  her.  For  a  long  time  he  cried.  He  went  to  his 
house.  He  had  no  blanket,  everything  was  gone.  He  went  to  the  shore 
and  sweated.  Then  he  fished  and  everything  he  wished  for  appeared  on 
the  hook.  He  fished  up  a  blanket.  Then  he  ran  to  his  mother's  father 
and  said,  "I  can  fish  up  anything  I  choose  to  mention,  just  like  that!  All 
I  need  to  do  is  to  fish  and  wish." 

"You  think  that  is  good  luck?  You'll  find  it  is  the  other  way  around." 
Catbird  however  was  excited  and  went  back  and  fished  up  a  knife,  a 
dish  and  other  things.  Then,  "I  wish  I  had  a  mate,"  he  said.  At  that  he 
felt  his  line  being  pulled.  He  pulled  hard  and  fished  out  a  person.  He 
ran  to  his  mother's  father.  "I  fished  out  a  person."  "You  better  listen  to 
me.  That  is  all  for  no  good." 

Catbird  went  back  and  saw  a  girl  sitting  there.  Then  he  said,  "I  wish 
I  had  a  child."  He  threw  in  his  hook  and  this  time  fished  up  a  child.  He 
ran  to  his  grandfather  and  said,  "This  time  I  fished  up  a  child."  Again 
his  grandfather  warned  him,  "You  better  watch  out.  You'll  go  too  far 
and  then  you'll  die." 

He  went  back  to  the  shore  and  the  girl  said  to  him,  "Let's  go  back  to 
my  parents."  Once  more  he  ran  to  his  grandfather.  "She  tells  me, 
'Come  back  to  my  people.'  "  "I've  already  warned  you  often.  You  are 
going  to  die,  but  I  will  go  with  you,  then  at  least  you  will  not  be  alone." 

They  all  got  into  a  canoe,  Catbird,  the  girl  with  the  baby  and  the 
grandfather.  The  whole  canoe  with  its  load  dived  to  the  bottom  of  the 
water.  They  saw  a  house  on  the  shore,  but  the  shore  itself  was  all  covered 
with  ice.  The  grandfather  went  up  it  all  right.  He  did  not  even  slip. 
When  he  came  up  to  the  door  he  recognized  the  girl's  parents.  "What- 
ever you  do  to  us  we'll  do  to  you,"  he  said. 

Then  Catbird  and  the  girl  with  the  baby  came  up  and  they  all  went  in. 
The  house  was  made  of  ice  and  frost.  When  the  child  was  taken  from  its 
mother  it  disappeared.  After  they  had  stayed  two  days  Catbird's  grand- 
father said,  "Let  us  go  back."  "I  am  not  going  back  again,"  said  the 
girl.  "Neither  am  I,"  said  Catbird.  "No,  let's  go  back  together.  They 


The  Myths  and  Tales  153 

have  already  eaten  your  child.  They  will  eat  you  too.  They  are  man- 
eating  monsters." 

So  just  Catbird  and  his  grandfather  went  back  to  the  canoe  and  it 
came  up  to  the  surface  of  the  water  again.  (There  is  much  more  to  this 
story  but  Dorothy  did  not  know  it.  When  he  came  to  the  surface  Catbird 
became  some  other  kind  of  a  boy  and  went  about  in  his  customary  unruly 
way  trying  to  get  everything  he  wanted.  Coyote  stole  his  bow  and 
arrow  and  Fox  also  enters  into  the  tale.) 

The  power  of  the  little  one  is  a  common  myth  feature.  Small  or  young 
characters  with  exceptionally  great  power  have  roles  in  at  least  one  myth 
of  practically  every  tribe  in  the  territory  covered  by  this  analysis.  Among 
these  myths  moreover  there  are  a  number  which  correspond  closely  to 
the  Coeur  d'Alene  outline  of  the  Catbird  story,  through  the  point  at 
which  Catbird  is  deserted  by  his  grandmother. 

Among  the  Sanpoil,  Thompson  and  Kutenai  one  finds  the  identical 
setup  of  the  little  boy  living  with  his  grandmother,  who  wishes  for  a 
bow  and  arrow  and  lets  nothing  deter  him  till  he  gets  it. 

The  people  are  unable  to  hit  the  sky  with  their  arrows  to  start  an  arrow  chain; 
Woodpecker  proceeds  to  obtain  arrows ;  he  lights  on  Elk's  neck  while  Elk  is  cross- 
ing the  river,  cuts  it,  and  kills  him;  he  makes  a  bow  out  of  Elk's  rib;  he  fashions 
arrows  out  of  serviceberry  wood ;  he  precipitates  one  fight  between  Eagle  and  Bald 
Eagle  in  order  to  collect  their  feathers  for  his  arrows,  another  between  Flint  Rock 
and  Hard  Rock  to  procure  chips  for  arrowpoints ;  he  shoots  the  arrow  chain  and 
the  people  ascend  to  the  sky  to  obtain  fire  (Sanpoil  JAFL  46:152). 

Woodpecker  comes  upon  a  dead  elk  and  sings  for  a  knife ;  Wolf  discovers  Wood- 
pecker's game;  Woodpecker  fails  five  time  to  fetch  Wolf's  nephews,  while  Wolf  is 
skinning  the  elk;  Wolf  goes  for  them;  Woodpecker  fetches  his  grandmother  and 
the  two  carry  the  elk  to  a  cave ;  the  Wolves  find  them ;  Woodpecker  kills  the 
Wolves  with  hot  rocks  covered  with  fat ;  he  makes  arrows ;  he  takes  a  deer  rib  for 
a  bow ;  he  wraps  snakeskins  around  his  arrows  and  trades  some  of  them  to  Coyote ; 
the  snakes  bite  Coyote  to  death ;  Fox  revives  Coyote ;  Woodpecker  shoots  an  arrow 
chain  on  which  the  people  ascend  to  the  sky  to  obtain  fire  (Sanpoil  JAFL  46:153). 

An  old  woman  and  her  grandson  live  together;  the  boy  rides  Deer  across  the 
river  and  cuts  his  throat ;  the  five  Wolves  discover  the  kill ;  the  old  woman  sets  a 
decoy  of  rotten  wood  and  wishes  herself,  her  grandson  and  the  meat  onto  the  ledge 
of  a  cliff;  the  Wolves  are  fooled  by  the  rotten  wood;  the  boy  kills  all  but  the 
youngest  Wolf  with  hot  stones  wrapped  in  suet ;  the  boy  precipitates  a  fight  between 
two  eagles  and  gathers  their  feathers  for  new  arrows ;  he  turns  into  a  chickadee 
(Sanpoil  MAFLS  11:107). 

When  the  three  Sanpoil  versions  are  used  to  supplement  one  another, 
the  combination  is  seen  to  reproduce  the  Catbird's  story  incident  for 


154  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

incident  through  three-quarters  of  the  myth,  that  is,  as  long  as  the  little 
fellow  and  his  grandmother  live  together.  The  last  fourth  of  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  myth,  Catbird's  fishing  of  his  wishes  out  of  the  sea,  is  replaced 
by  the  shooting  of  the  arrow  chain  and  the  Earth  People's  quest  for 
fire.  The  Sanpoil  reference  to  Woodpecker's  exchange  of  arrows  with 
Coyote  may  be  a  slight  clue  to  the  unrecorded  continuation  of  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  story,  which  the  narrator  had  forgotten  beyond  such  vague  ideas 
as  Coyote's  theft  of  Catbird's  bow  and  arrow,  etc. 

A  boy  is  advised  by  his  grandmother  on  the  making  of  a  bow  and  arrows ;  he 
rights  with  Eagle  and  pulls  out  his  tail-feathers ;  he  rides  Buck  Deer,  cuts  his  neck 
and  takes  sinew  for  his  bowstring;  he  precipitates  a  fight  between  the  two  owners 
of  arrowstone  and  gathers  up  the  stone  which  drops  off  them ;  Raven  chips  the 
stone  into  arrowheads  for  him  {Thompson  MAFLS  6:75). 

Wren  wishes  for  a  bow  and  arrow  so  he  can  reach  the  sky;  he  rides  Elk  across 
the  river  and  stabs  him ;  Wolf  tries  to  steal  the  elk ;  Wren  kills  Wolf  with  hot 
stones  wrapped  in  fat;  he  uses  Elk's  rib  for  a  bow,  obtains  feathers  for  his  arrow 
by  having  an  eagle  carry  him  to  its  nest  and  gets  flint  by  means  of  a  fight  between 
its  owners;  he  proceeds  to  where  people  are  assembled  to  shoot  an  arrow  chain 
(Kutenai  BBAE  59:283,  21). 

Despite  his  great-grandmother  Frog's  warning,  Yaukwe'ikam  steals  serviceberry 
bushes  from  Grizzly  Bear  to  obtain  arrowwood  for  arrows ;  he  receives  feathers  in 
exchange  for  ear  ornaments  from  the  ducks  on  the  lake;  he  kills  Bull  Moose  for 
Mouse  and  takes  the  moose's  sinew ;  he  destroys  two  large  squirrels  blocking  the 
trail,  opens  it  up  and  procures  bowwood,  thus  completing  his  bow  and  arrows 
(Kutenai) . 

A  third  Kutenai  variant  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  Catbird  quest  for  bow 
and  arrow  is  a  Chickadee  and  Elk  story,  one  of  the  most  faithful  parallels 
of  Catbird's  experience  with  the  Elk  and  the  Wolves. 

Chickadee  wishes  to  get  some  elk  meat;  he  rides  Fat  Elk  across  the  river  and 
stabs  him ;  he  sings  for  help  to  skin  Elk ;  Wolf  discovers  Chickadee's  kill  and  com- 
mences to  skin  it;  he  provides  Chickadee  with  two  pairs  of  moccasins,  both  of 
which  Chickadee  destroys ;  Wolf  sets  out  to  fetch  his  family  himself ;  Chickadee 
entices  him  back  twice  to  tire  him ;  Wolf  takes  Elk's  tongue  home  to  his  father-in- 
law  who  eats  it  so  quickly  he  chokes  to  death ;  Chickadee  sets  a  decoy  of  rotten 
wood  and  fetches  his  grandmother  Frog;  Frog  transfers  her  grandson,  the  meat 
and  herself  onto  a  high  rock ;  Wolf  and  his  children  return  for  the  game  and  are 
fooled  by  the  rotten  wood ;  Wolf  drinks  at  the  river  and  is  duped  by  Chickadee's 
reflection  in  the  water ;  Chickadee  kills  Wolf  with  a  hot  rock  covered  with  fat ;  he 
declares  the  Wolf  children  shall  henceforth  be  wolves  (Dyer  ms.). 

The  Shuswap,  Nez  Perce  and  Chilcotin  likewise  relate  the  story  of  the 
little  one — corresponding  to  Catbird  without  a  grandmother — who  makes 


The  Myths  and  Tales  155 

a  big  kill  and  foils  Wolf's,  Coyote's  or  Wolverine's  attempt  to  take  it 
away  from  him. 

Wren  rides  Bull  Elk  and  scratches  him  to  death  under  pretense  of  looking  for  his 
woodticks ;  Wolf  hears  Wren  singing  about  his  kill ;  Wolf  swallows  Wren  four 
times ;  each  time  Wren  escapes  out  of  Wolf's  anus ;  Wren  admits  his  kill  to  Wolf ; 
Wolf  cuts  up  the  elk  and  instructs  Wren  to  carry  the  pieces  to  the  young  Wolves; 
Wren  takes  them  instead  to  a  ledge  and  invites  the  birds  to  eat  with  him;  he  kills 
Wolf  and  her  children  with  boiling  hot  meat  which  burns  their  insides  (Shuswap 
MAM  4:751;  ARBAE  31:940). 

Porcupine,  sitting  under  Buffalo's  foreleg,  rides  across  the  river  and  slashes 
Buffalo  to  death ;  Coyote  hears  Porcupine  singing  for  help  in  sharpening  his  knife ; 
Coyote  challenges  Porcupine  to  jump  over  the  buffalo,  the  winner  to  receive  the 
meat;  Coyote  wins,  wounds  Porcupine  and  leaves  his  one  child  behind  while  he 
fetches  the  rest  of  his  family;  Porcupine  recovers,  kills  Coyote's  child,  sets  him  up 
as  a  decoy  and  takes  the  buffalo  meat  to  the  top  of  a  tree;  he  drops  the  buffalo 
head  down  upon  Coyote  and  his  family  and  kills  them  (Nez  Perce  JAFL  21 :21). 

Porcupine  rides  across  the  river  on  Caribou  and  pierces  him  with  a  quill ;  Wol- 
verine comes  up  and  helps  Porcupine  skin  the  caribou;  Porcupine  eats  the  fat  off 
the  intestines  he  was  sent  to  wash;  when  Wolverine  strikes  him,  he  feigns  death; 
Wolverine  goes  to  fetch  his  family;  Porcupine  takes  the  meat  up  a  greased  tree; 
he  drops  a  sharpened  rib  down  upon  the  Wolverines;  Wolverine  jumps  aside  and 
escapes ;  Porcupine  helps  him  up  the  tree  and  tells  him  to  defecate  on  a  small 
branch;  Wolverine  is  plunged  to  his  death  (Chilcotin  MAM  4:40). 

A  Thompson  version  of  the  episode  takes  an  unusual  twist  at  the  end 
— the  young  one  is  vanquished : 

Wren  calls  Elk  and  jumps  into  the  fattest  elk's  anus;  he  cuts  its  heart  and 
jumps  out,  forgetting  his  knife  inside;  Wolf  and  Coyote  hear  him  singing  for  help 
to  butcher  the  elk;  they  carve  it  up  for  themselves  leaving  only  the  paunch  for 
Wren  (MAM  12:342;  ARBAE  31:944). 

In  a  Tsimshian  variant  the  little  boy  is  temporarily  overpowered  and 
deprived  of  his  meat  but,  with  supernatural  aid  he  takes  his  revenge : 

Tsak  lives  with  his  grandmother ;  Grizzly  Bear  steals  their  salmon ;  Tsak  scolds 
Grizzly;  Grizzly  snuffs  him  in;  Tsak  makes  a  fire  inside  Grizzly  and  kills  him; 
Tsak  fetches  his  grandmother  and  they  cut  the  bear  up;  the  boy  visits  the  village 
of  the  Wolves ;  the  Wolves  tie  him  up,  go  to  his  home  and  eat  all  the  bear  meat ; 
a  supernatural  being  helps  Tsak;  he  marries  Wolf  chief's  daughter  and  receives 
much  property  (BBAE  27:117). 

The  small  one's  experience  with  a  bear  is  the  subject  of  a  Bella  Coola 
myth  : 

The  bird,  Stska'aka,  discovers  Bear  is  stealing  his  salmon ;  he  scolds  Bear ;  Bear 
snuffs  him  in;  Stska'aka  comes  out  through  Bear's  anus;  the  fourth  time  Bear 


156  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

corks  himself  up ;  Stska'aka  makes  a  fire  inside  Bear  and  kills  him ;  Stska'aka  flies 
to  his  mother ;  she  makes  the  stone  on  which  they  sit  grow  into  a  cliff ;  the  two  roll 
redhot  stones  down  upon  Bear's  four  friends  who  come  to  avenge  him  (IS  256). 

In  a  story  from  Rivers  Inlet  when  his  older  brothers  fail  to  catch  game,  Stskin 
goes  forth  and  burns  a  bear  to  death  in  the  manner  of  Stska'aka  among  the  Bella 
Coola;  Stskin  is  obliged  to  cut  off  the  bear's  nose  and  bring  it  to  his  mother  to 
convince  her  of  his  kill ;  the  men  go  to  fetch  the  bear ;  Raven  gets  all  the  fat  and 
meat  by  trickery  (IS  212). 

In  Chinook,  Coast  Salish  and  Nez  Perce  myths  the  small  one's  prob- 
lem after  he  has  destroyed  the  elk  or  bear  is  with  his  grandmother  rather 
than  with  a  thieving  Wolf  or  Coyote. 

Entsx  calls  a  male  elk,  enters  its  anus,  cuts  its  stomach  and  kills  it;  he  fetches 
his  grandmother  to  help  him  pack  and  prepare  the  elk;  when  the  meat  is  boiled, 
his  grandmother  makes  holes  in  all  his  spoons ;  he  pours  the  boiling  water  over  his 
grandmother  and  kills  her  {Chinook  BBAE  20:119). 

Wren  calls  Elk,  enters  him,  cuts  his  heart  and  kills  him;  he  butchers  him  and 
fetches  his  grandmother  to  help  pack  the  meat;  his  grandmother  insists  on  packing 
the  genitals  and  copulates  with  them.  Wren  misses  the  elk  marrow  which  he  had 
saved;  he  strikes  his  grandmother  on  the  throat  and  the  marrow  comes  out;  she 
leaves  him,  weeping;  the  people  dress  Wren's  grandmother  up  and  give  her  to  him 
for  a  wife  {Upper  Chehalis  MAFLS  27:33).  Wren  frets  until  his  grandmother 
has  intercourse  with  him ;  a  bird  detects  them ;  Wren  fights  the  bird ;  his  grand- 
mother burns  him  up  by  mistake ;  the  bird  escapes ;  Wren  turns  into  the  wren,  his 
grandmother  into  the  bluebird  ( Upper  Chehalis  MAFLS  27 :36 ;  Cowlitz  MAFLS 
27:185).  Coon  insults  Grizzly  Bear;  Grizzly  swallows  him;  the  agates  on  Coon's 
back  cut  Grizzly  to  pieces ;  Coon  fetches  his  grandmother ;  she  cohabits  with 
Grizzly's  genitals  in  the  sweathouse ;  Coon  burns  her  up ;  he  eats  all  the  bear  meat 
and  crawfish;  still  hungry,  he  eats  his  grandmother's  private  parts  by  mistake;  his 
teeth  fall  out  {Cowlitz  MAFLS  27:220). 

Raccoon  Boy  encounters  a  bear ;  he  kills  her  by  thrusting  her  thorn  needle  into 
her  ear;  he  fetches  his  grandmother;  he  sends  her  to  the  menstruation  lodge  and 
eats  up  all  the  bear  meat ;  his  grandmother  wraps  herself  in  a  bearskin ;  she  crushes 
him  to  death  {Nez  Perce  CUCA  25:265;  MAFLS  11:197). 

A  Quinault  myth  concerns  itself  exclusively  with  the  little  one's  ex- 
perience with  Elk. 

Elk  has  been  taking  away  Wren's  spears  ;  Wren  flies  into  Elk's  nose  and  scratches 
him;  Elk  bleeds  and  sneezes  to  death  (MAM  4:126;  ARBAE  31 :944). 

Catbird's  method  of  killing  the  Wolves  with  hot  rocks  covered  with 
fat  and  his  contact  with  the  Eagles  to  obtain  feathers  are  two  incidents 


The  Myths  and  Tales  157 

in  the  stories  of  the  small  one  who  makes  a  bow  and  arrow  which  have 
a  far-reaching  stylistic  significance. 

The  hot  rock  episode  is  used  in  a  wide  variety  of  myths  which  may 
have  no  further  points  in  common.  A  list  of  references  to  representative 
instances  where  the  device  is  resorted  to  follows :  Quinault — Wildcat  boy 
against  a  pursuing  monster  woman  (MAM  4:116:  ARBAE  31:940). 
Haida,  Tlingit  and  Tsimshian — Raven  against  male  or  female  Grizzly 
Bear,  upon  whom  he  wishes  to  feast  (MAM  14:312;  BBAE  39:7; 
BBAE  27:57).  Tlingit — trickster  Raven  against  his  sister,  the  guillemot 
(IS  317).  Tsimshian — Txamsem  against  two  Grizzly  Bear  wives,  whose 
meat  replenishes  his  larder  (ARBAE  31 :88)  ;  Nez  Perce,  Kathlamet  and 
Wishram— Coyote  against  Grizzly  Bear  (CUCA  25  :183 ;  BBAE  26 :149; 
PAES  2:165).  Kwakiutl  and  Newettee  (CUCA  2:241;  IS  177)— 
Squirrel-made-to-go-up  against  Omal  who  peeps  at  Squirrel  through  a 
knothole  (CUCA  2:241;  IS  177).  Kutenai — Woodpeckers  against 
Nalmu'qtse ;  the  red-hot  stone  wrapped  in  a  mountaingoat's  heart  misses 
its  mark  (BBAE  59:77,  87).  In  a  Thompson  myth  the  fugitive  Black 
Bear  children  from  their  point  of  vantage  in  a  tree  promise  to  throw  the 
youngest  Black  Bear  to  Grizzly  Woman  agitating  below ;  they  throw  her 
dry  rotten  wood  mixed  with  ants  ;  Grizzly  is  choked  and  blinded  ( MAM 
12:220;  MAFLS  6:71). 

The  tussle  with  the  Eagles  for  eagle  feathers  has  a  special  place  in 
myths  of  the  Transformer  cycle.  The  transformer  is  assaulted  by  man- 
eating  Eagles  while  attempting  to  gather  feathers  for  arrows  or  decora- 
tion and  his  dealings  with  the  birds  get  under  way. 

In  a  Chilcotin  version  Lendixtcux  wears  the  birds  out  from  flying  with  a  stone 
tied  to  their  feet  and  kills  them;  he  spares  one  eaglet  instructing  it  never  to  kill 
men  again  (MAM  4:12). 

Among  the  Shuswap  Tle'esa  deludes  the  Cannibal  Eagle  into  believing  him  dead 
by  dripping  red  and  white  paint  from  his  mouth;  he  kills  Eagle  and  takes  [his 
brothers  take]  his  tail-feathers ;  he  commandeers  the  eaglets  to  carry  him  down 
to  earth  and  transforms  them  into  harmless  birds  (MAM  4:649;  ARBAE  31:613; 
IS  4). 

Catbird's  fishing  of  his  wishes  and  sojourn  under  water  is  a  unique 
Coeur  d'Alene  supplement  to  the  story  of  the  small  one.  One  or  another 
stylistic  feature  of  Catbird's  visit  may  be  found  in  the  typical  Quinault 
myth  outlined  below,  but  this  sea  journey,  like  the  others,  has  its  own 
distinctive  setting. 

A  deserted  girl  and  her  brother  obtain  much  whale  meat;  the  pair  embark  on  a 
whale  with  their  child;  the  rest  of  the  people  visit  under  water  with  them;  they 


158  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

must  follow  in  the  leader's  footsteps  in  order  to  keep  their  footing  on  the  slippery 
beach  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea  (MAM  4:97). 

In  conclusion  a  stylistic  parallel  to  the  fishing  of  one's  wishes  out  of 
the  water  may  be  pointed  out  in  Ten' a  mythology : 

All  of  a  family  of  sisters  except  the  second  oldest  who  was  a  bad  girl,  draw  in 
husbands  in  bags  on  their  fish  hooks ;  they  dive  into  the  water  to  settle  in  their 
husbands'  village  (PAES  6:94). 

23.  Skunk  and  Fisher 

Skunk  and  Fisher  live  together ;  Skunk  keeps  house  and  gets  only  scraps  to  eat 

Chipmunk  and  Squirrel  are  sent  to  Fisher 

Chipmunk  laughs  at  Skunk's  noise 

Skunk  hides  girls 

Girls  scorn  Skunk's  food 

Fisher  keeps  up  fire  and  prevents  Skunk  from  visiting  girls  at  night 

Fisher  and  girls  desert  Skunk 

Skunk  pursues  them,  sees  their  reflection  in  water  and  threatens  to  kill  them 

Skunk  loses  his  fluid  in  water 

Skunk  sends  his  fluid  into  Fisher's  eye ;  girls  come  down  to  Skunk 

Girls  run  away  from  Skunk  and  leave  rotten  wood  in  their  place 

Skunk  pursues  them ;  tricks  his  hosts,  leaving  his  dung  to  look  like  camas 

Skunk  steals  baby 

Skunk  tells  people  hardluck  story 

Skunk  kills  people  with  his  fluid ;  spots  Antelope  and  Wild  Canaries 

Skunk  cures  blindness 

Skunk  honored  as  chief 

People  transformed  into  stars 

Skunk  and  Fisher  lived  together.  They  had  lots  of  deer.  They  would 
go  hunting  in  the  morning.  They  would  kill  two  deer.  Fisher  would  clean 
them  and  prepare  the  meat.  Skunk  would  say,  "Don't  give  me  any  meat, 
just  the  entrails,  the  fat  and  the  meat  near  the  back  of  the  tail.  That's 
all  I  ever  want.  You  just  give  me  those  scraps  from  now  on."  Cus- 
tomarily they  did  that.  Fisher  hunted  and  secured  plenty  of  meat  but 
Skunk  took  only  the  scraps. 

Not  far  from  where  they  lived  there  was  a  village.  Eagle  was  the  chief 
who  had  two  daughters.  The  younger  was  Chipmunk,  the  elder  was 
Squirrel.  One  day  he  said  to  them,  "Go  to  Fisher  so  he  will  give  you 
meat."  Before  they  left  their  mother  said,  "When  you  go  in  look  care- 
fully at  the  meat.  What  Skunk  gets  is  no  good.  It's  only  scraps.  Fisher's 
is  the  only  good  meat." 

The  girls  went.  They  came  into  the  house  and  sat  down.  They  looked 
at  what  Skunk  had  at  the  head  of  his  bed,  then  at  what  Fisher  had. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  159 

Just  as  it  became  dark  they  heard  Skunk's  noise  p'ap'aq'.  He  made 
this  noise  (of  breaking  wind)  every  time  he  took  a  step.  Chipmunk  had 
to  laugh  at  this.  Squirrel,  her  sister,  said,  "Keep  quiet  and  come  under 
the  mat  so  he  cannot  see  you."  Meanwhile  Skunk  came  nearer  and 
Chipmunk  was  convulsed  with  giggles.  He  heard  her  and  saw  them. 
Then  he  asked,  "Did  your  parents  tell  you  to  come  to  Fisher's  bed? 
There's  my  bed."  He  grabbed  one  of  them  by  the  arm  and  made  her  go 
in  behind  his  pillow.  Then  the  other  hid  there  too.  Skunk  set  about 
making  a  fire.  Soon  a  noise  was  heard,  tcisasafat'af.  It  was  Fisher. 
Then  Squirrel  said  to  her  sister,  "Didn't  I  tell  you!  What  a  nice  noise 
his  is !"  Fisher  laid  down  two  deer  and  said  to  Skunk,  "Come,  drag  them 
in!"  Skunk  said,  "You  make  me  ashamed.  What  if  someone  heard  you 
say  that?"  Fisher  thought,  "That's  funny!  He  never  said  that  before." 
Skunk  dragged  in  the  deer  and  as  Fisher  cut  them  up  he  said,  "Give  me 
some  of  the  ribs  to  cook."  Fisher  thought,  "I  won't  be  stingy.  I'll  give 
him  some." 

He  prepared  the  meat,  gave  some  to  Skunk  and  they  both  cooked. 
When  the  food  was  done  and  they  were  ready  to  eat  Skunk  said,  "Let's 
share  with  our  pillows."  "What  do  we  want  to  feed  our  pillows  for?" 
asked  Fisher.  "It's  all  right,"  said  Skunk.  He  took  a  dish,  put  meat  in 
it  and  set  it  just  behind  his  pillow.  Then  he  watched  it  while  he  and 
Fisher  ate.  When  they  had  finished  Skunk  said,  "Let  us  look."  His  plate 
was  the  same.  He  told  Fisher  to  look  at  his.  "What  do  I  want  to  do 
that  for?"  "Oh,  go  ahead." 

Fisher  looked.  The  plate  was  empty.  Only  bones  were  left.  "My, 
there  must  be  someone  here,"  said  Skunk.  Fisher  thought,  "I  wonder 
why  he  says  that.  He  never  says  it  other  times." 

At  night  they  went  to  bed.  Fisher  laid  a  stick  on  the  fire.  Skunk  said, 
"You  are  making  it  too  hot  for  me."  "No,  I  feel  sore,  my  back  hurts." 
They  both  lay  down  near  the  fire.  As  the  fire  died  down  so  that  the 
house  was  dark  Skunk  got  up.  Just  as  he  got  near  his  pillow  Fisher 
kicked  the  wood  and  it  lighted  up  the  house.  So  Skunk  came  back  and 
lay  down.  Thus  Fisher  kept  it  light  all  night. 

In  the  morning  they  got  up  and  cooked.  Again  as  they  were  dishing 
up  the  food  Skunk  said,  "Let  us  share  with  our  pillows."  Fisher  pro- 
tested but  again  they  put  food  near  the  pillows.  When  they  had  finished 
eating  they  looked  at  the  dishes  they  had  put  near  their  pillows.  Skunk's 
was  the  same  as  before,  but  on  Fisher's  plate  there  were  only  bones. 

Fisher  then  went  out  and  rolled  a  disk  which  made  a  noise  like  a 
bull-roarer.  Skunk  thought,  "He's  gone  now."  Fisher  had  gone  out  only 
to  hide  near  the  house  in  the  brush.  Then  Skunk  said  to  the  girls,  "Come 
with  me.  Fisher  is  already  gone."  So  Squirrel  and  Chipmunk  went  with 


160  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

him.  He  ran  around  making  his  noise.  Chipmunk  always  laughed  when 
he  did  that  but  Squirrel  was  quiet.  Soon  Skunk  said,  "Go  back  into  the 
house.  I  am  going  away  too."  Fisher  saw  him  go.  When  Skunk  got  out 
of  sight  Fisher  went  in  to  Skunk's  bed  where  the  two  girls  were  hiding. 
"What  are  you  doing  here?  Did  your  people  tell  you,  'Go  to  Skunk's?' 
What  were  you  going  to  get  from  him?  Look  at  what  he  has  handed 
out  to  him,  nothing  but  disgusting  odds  and  ends."  Squirrel  said, 
"Chipmunk  laughs  too  much."  Fisher  said,  "Go  over  there.  We'll  leave 
Skunk.  We'll  take  the  meat  supply  along." 

They  took  the  food  and  burned  the  house.  It  made  a  lot  of  smoke. 
They  went  past  the  smoke. 

Meanwhile  Skunk  had  been  eating  grass.  When  he  had  eaten  enough 
he  lay  down  on  his  back.  He  saw  the  smoke  and  thought,  "The  Cayuse 
must  be  burning  the  Coeur  d'Alene."  Then  he  noticed  that  the  smoke 
was  near  and  he  got  up  and  ran.  As  he  came  closer  he  saw  it  was  near 
his  own  house.  As  he  went  over  the  hill  he  was  sure  of  it.  "Oh  the 
chief's  daughters,  they  may  have  died,"  he  cried.  He  ran  as  fast  as  he 
could,  but  when  he  got  there  the  house  was  burned.  "The  Squirrels  died," 
he  cried.  He  took  a  stick  and  stirred  the  fire  thinking,  "I  might  find  some 
bones,"  but  he  did  not  find  any.  Then  he  wondered,  "What  could  have 
become  of  them?" 

He  sat  down.  He  thought,  "I'll  leave.  Maybe  Fisher  will  come  back 
at  night  and  then  we'll  find  out."  However  Fisher  did  not  come  back  at 
night.  Then  Skunk  thought,  "All  over  the  earth  I  will  go.  There  is  no 
corner  where  I  will  not  go." 

So  he  started  off.  When  he  had  gone  far  he  found  tracks  of  three 
people,  Fisher's  between  the  tracks  of  the  Squirrel  girls.  Farther  on  he 
followed.  Then  he  became  thirsty.  He  saw  a  cliff"  and  underneath  it  a 
spring.  He  went  to  drink.  "What's  the  matter  ?"  He  saw  the  Fisher  party 
deep  in  the  water.  "You  are  going  to  die,"  said  Skunk.  "Leave  Squirrel 
and  Chipmunk."  But  Fisher  only  laughed  at  him  and  did  not  go  away. 

"All  right !  You'll  all  die."  So  saying  he  exuded  his  fluid  there  in  the 
water.  They  laughed  and  he  did  it  again.  Then  he  had  no  more.  His 
strength  had  all  gone  into  the  water.  He  ate  again  and  when  he  had 
enough  he  went  back  to  the  water.  He  lay  down.  Soon  he  thought,  "I'll 
do  that  lying  down  this  time."  He  lay  on  his  back  and  looked  up  at  the 
top  of  the  cliff  where  he  saw  the  three  were  sitting. 

He  got  up.  He  said  to  the  girls,  "Leave  him !  I  am  going  to  squirt  my 
fluid  into  his  eyes."  They  said  nothing.  They  only  laughed.  Then  Fisher 
said  to  them,  "Go  far  away.  He  can't  reach  me  anyway." 

They  went  far  away.  Then  Skunk  sent  his  fluid  into  Fisher's  eye. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  161 

Skunk  said  to  the  Squirrel  girls,  "Jump  down !"  The  girls  paid  no  atten- 
tion. "Hurry !  If  you  don't  come  down  I'll  do  the  same  thing  to  you." 

They  came  down.  They  were  sorry.  Skunk  said  to  them,  "What  busi- 
ness had  you  to  go  with  Fisher?"  They  went  away.  They  camped.  At 
night  Skunk  ordered  "Go  fix  my  bed."  The  poor  girls  were  obliged  to 
fix  Skunk's  bed.  They  chose  a  smooth  spot,  they  piled  grass  high  for  a 
mattress.  Skunk  lay  down.  He  said,  "You,  Squirrel,  will  be  my  pillow." 
The  poor  thing  lay  down.  "You,  Chipmunk  get  under  the  calf  of  my 
leg  for  a  support."  She  had  to  get  under  his  leg.  In  the  morning  Skunk 
was  asleep.  Chipmunk  woke  up.  She  looked  at  Skunk.  His  legs  were 
spread  out.  She  said  to  her  sister,  "Wake  up!"  She  answered,  "I  am 
already  awake."  "Go  get  a  piece  of  wood.  Put  it  down  here  where  I  am." 
As  her  sister  put  it  down  she  crawled  out  from  under  Skunk's  head. 
They  put  a  piece  of  wood  under  his  legs.  Then  they  ran  off. 

Skunk  kept  on  sleeping.  He  finally  woke  up  and  said,  "Chipmunk, 
wake  up!  You  have  no  flesh.  You  are  hard."  She  paid  no  attention. 
Then  he  threw  back  his  head  and  called  Squirrel.  But  no,  she  was  not 
there !  There  was  nothing  but  a  stick  of  wood.  "Now  you  are  going  to 
get  it!"  he  threatened  when  he  found  that  neither  of  the  girls  was 
there.  He  ran  off,  found  their  tracks  and  followed  them.  He  came  to  a 
place  where  camas  was  being  baked  in  a  pit.  Someone  said  to  him, 
"Maybe  you  are  Skunk."  "So  you're  here,"  he  said.  "I'm  hungry  for 
cooked  camas."  "Yes.  You  may  eat." 

The  pit  was  just  being  uncovered  and  the  food  was  taken  out.  He  sat 
at  some  distance.  "Come,  sit  nearer,"  he  was  told.  "No  just  pass  a  dish 
over  to  me  here,"  he  said.  He  took  a  sack.  He  dumped  the  camas  on  it. 
He  ate.  He  got  up  to  go.  He  had  some  camas  tied  up  for  his  lunch. 
Where  he  had  been  sitting  the  people  saw  some  camas  which  had  been 
spilled.  "Look,  you  spilled  some,"  they  told  him.  "No,  I  tied  it  up  and 
fastened  it  to  my  belt  (like  a  purse),"  he  said.  Then  they  asked,  "Are 
you  leaving  it?"  "No,  I've  already  eaten  the  camas,"  he  said.  Then  he 
went  away  and  they  found  he  had  left  his  dung  looking  like  camas. 

Again  he  came  to  a  settlement.  Again  he  did  not  sit  with  the  people 
but  a  little  apart.  At  night  something  cried.  The  chief  said,  "Go  see  the 
baby."  Someone  went.  It  was  dark.  Skunk  went.  He  saw  there  were 
many  houses.  He  peeped  in.  He  saw  all  the  people  passing  a  baby  around 
from  one  to  the  other.  He  was  not  seen  but  he  had  his  two  hands  cupped 
and  moved  in  among  the  people.  Then  he  took  the  baby.  The  people 
said,  "Where  is  it?  It  is  gone!"  They  scattered.  In  the  morning  they 
saw  Skunk.  He  said  to  them,  "I  have  something  to  tell  you." 

The  chief  called  the  people  together.  "Come  we  have  something  to 
announce."  Skunk  said,  "Sit  down.  I  want  to  tell  you.  I  just  came  from 


162  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

the  Cayuse  country.  As  I  passed  by  the  enemy  ran  after  me.  There  must 
have  been  a  hundred  of  them.  I  did  my  best  but  my  firstborn  was  cap- 
tured. I  came  on  but  a  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  enemy  attacked  me.  My 
secondborn  was  captured.  I  kept  on  running.  I  crossed  the  river  in  the 
Cayuse  country.  Then  my  third  child  was  captured.  I'll  stop  right  here. 
I  want  to  go  out." 

He  got  up  and  just  as  he  got  to  the  door  they  could  see  his  fists  were 
far  apart  and  he  was  holding  something  in  them.  He  squirted  his  fluid 
on  the  door  poles.  The  people  all  fell  back.  Skunk  was  gone.  Fox  ran 
out.  On  the  way  Skunk  had  thrown  his  fluid  on  Antelope  right  near 
the  tail.  He  threw  some  on  the  little  animals  which  became  wild  canaries. 
That  is  why  their  feathers  are  yellow.  He  saw  Coyote.  All  the  people 
died.  A  poor  old  blind  woman  like  me  (the  narrator)  was  standing  at  the 
door.  "How  are  you?"  said  Skunk. 

The  old  woman  pointed  to  her  left  eye.  "Just  a  little  I  can  see." 
Skunk  sent  some  fluid  in  the  eye  and  she  could  see.  Then  he  threw 
some  into  the  eye  of  another  old  blind  woman.  "Fine !  I  can  see  every- 
thing now,"  she  said.  "I  got  my  eyes  back  again."  Then  Skunk  asked 
the  old  women,  "Are  there  many  people  over  here?"  "Yes,"  they  said. 
"Carry  me  back  to  pay  me  for  curing  you,"  he  said.  They  said,  "We'll 
take  you  in  a  canoe."  Skunk  said  to  them,  "You  must  respect  me  as  if 
I  were  a  chief." 

He  sat  in  the  canoe  in  state.  One  of  the  old  women  sat  in  front  of 
him,  the  other  behind.  They  moved  on.  The  old  woman  said,  "There  is 
a  nice  village ;  it  is  white  with  houses."  Skunk  said,  "Call  out !  Say,  'Here 
comes  a  chief  with  yellow  moccasins.  He  has  stripes  at  the  back  of  his 
head  and  on  his  back.  His  eyes  and  his  tail  are  striped.'  " 

The  people  crowded  out  to  the  shore.  Skunk  sat  very  dignified  with 
his  arms  folded  as  if  he  were  a  chief.  The  chief  and  his  people  lifted 
him  by  the  arms1  and  carried  him  up  to  the  village.  So  they  went.  They 
made  the  noise  of  transformation  and  became  stars.2 

The  end  of  the  road. 

The  Skunk  and  Fisher  myth  has  numerous  analogues,  all  of  which 
follow  the  same  general  outline.  Such  myths  are  found  among  the 
Kutenai,  Shuswap,  Northwest  Sahaptin,  Coast  Salish,  Nez  Perce, 
Kathlamet,  Quinault,  Chilcotin,  Achomawi  and  Coos.  The  main  elements 
of  the  individual  myths  are  outlined  below : 

The  grandmother  of  Chipmunk  and  Big  Chipmunk  sends  her  granddaughters  to 
Fisher;  Skunk  takes  the  girls  in;  Fisher  escapes  with  the  girls;  Skunk  shoots  his 

*  The  way  of  showing  the  highest  respect  to  a  hero  was  to  lift  him  under  the  arms, 
raise  him  high  and  carry  him  thus  to  the  house. 
aThey  became  something  other  than  they  were,  perhaps  stars. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  163 

fluid  at  them  and  kills  all  three;  Skunk  revives  the  two  girls  and  takes  them  for 
wives ;  the  girls  hem  Skunk  in  with  rocks,  escape  and  revive  Fisher ;  Skunk  escapes 
from  the  rock  barrier  by  pushing  out  his  body  parts  one  by  one,  Raven  flying  away 
with  his  musk  bag ;  Skunk  comes  to  people  playing  with  his  musk  bag  and  recovers 
it  (Kutenai  BBAE  59:231). 

Two  women  are  sent  by  their  parents  to  marry  Fisher;  the  women  laugh  at 
Skunk's  noise  and  become  his  wives ;  Fisher  and  the  women  escape  to  a  cliff,  leav- 
ing wood  in  their  place;  Skunk  shoots  his  fluid  into  the  water  at  the  foot  of  the 
cliff ;  the  three  up  above  mock  him  and  he  leaves,  ashamed  (Shuswap  MAM  4 :752) . 

Skunk  hides  a  woman ;  his  housemate,  Eagle,  takes  the  woman  to  a  bluff ;  Skunk 
ejects  his  musk  into  the  water  at  the  base  of  the  bluff;  Eagle  cuts  the  rope  on 
which  he  is  hoisting  Skunk,  Skunk  drops  into  the  water  and  sets  out  in  search  of 
his  musk  sac  which  has  floated  away;  he  recovers  it  from  people  who  are  playing 
with  it ;  he  ej  ects  his  musk  at  all  the  people  who  had  spoken  harshly  to  him ;  Cougar 
escapes  Skunk;  Prairie  dog  overcomes  Skunk  by  whistling  (Northwest  Sahaptin 
UWPA  2:207). 

A  chief's  elder  daughter  follows  the  wrong  trail  and  is  taken  in  by  Skunk; 
Skunk's  master,  Cougar,  runs  away  with  the  girl  beyond  the  sky ;  Skunk  pursues 
and  shoots  his  musk  into  the  water ;  the  two  up  above  knock  out  his  anus  with  hot 
rocks  when  he  attempts  to  ascend  to  them  backside  up;  Skunk  follows  it  down  the 
river  and  recovers  it  from  people  rolling  it  as  a  hoop;  Skunk  shoots  his  musk  at 
those  people  who  were  unkind  to  him;  he  is  frightened  by  Skwkwi'kw's  whistling, 
dies  and  loses  his  dangerous  powers  [Skunk  kills  Cougar;  Fox  escapes  Skunk  by 
whistling;  five  Wolves  render  Skunk  harmless  and  revive  Cougar]  (Upper  Che- 
halis,  Cowlitz  MAFLS  27:46,  198). 

Skunk  hides  the  five  Killdeer  girls  who  have  come  to  marry  Eagle  and  sends  the 
five  Frog  sisters  to  him  instead;  Eagle  sends  the  Frog  sisters  home;  Eagle  flees 
to  a  cliff  with  the  Killdeer  girls ;  Skunk  shoots  his  musk  into  the  water  at  the  foot 
of  the  cliff ;  Eagle  knocks  out  Skunk's  musk  sac  with  a  hot  stone ;  Skunk  recovers 
his  musk  sac,  is  alarmed  by  his  captive's  whistling  and  is  killed  by  the  wolves 
(Nes  Perce  CUCA  25:251). 

Owl  hides  the  girl  sent  to  his  chief,  Panther,  by  Bluejay;  after  five  nights  Pan- 
ther finds  the  girl  and  takes  her;  Owl  and  Panther  fight  in  the  air;  the  girl  puts 
Panther's  bones  together  and  replaces  his  missing  intestines  with  those  of  Lynx 
(Kathlamet  BBAE  26:129).  [The  air-fight  or  tree-fight,  though  it  has  no  counter- 
part in  Coeur  d'Alene  mythology,  is  a  common  myth  episode,  called  into  service 
most  often  in  connection  with  the  overpowering  of  dangerous  beings.] 

A  girl,  sent  to  Owl's  house,  arrives  at  Screech  Owl's  by  mistake ;  the  girl  flees 
and  hides  in  a  tree;  Screech  Owl  jumps  at  her  reflection  in  the  water  and  is  almost 
frozen ;  the  girl  marries  Owl ;  Screech  Owl  claims  her  for  his  wife ;  the  fifth  time 
Owl  and  the  girl  tear  Screech  Owl  to  pieces  (Quinault  MAM  4:122). 


164  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

Some  girls  hide  in  a  house ;  they  laugh  at  Skunk  smelling  about  for  them ;  Skunk 
finds  and  marries  them;  some  men  steal  them  and  carry  them  to  a  mountain  top; 
Skunk  tracks  them,  ejects  his  secretion  and  the  mountain  falls,  killing  the  men;  the 
girls  tire  of  Skunk  and  run  away  to  sky  country,  to  return  eventually  to  their 
mother's  house  (Chilcotin  MAM  4:28). 

Two  sisters  are  sent  to  chief  Pine  Marten ;  the  younger  girl  saves  her  sister  from 
being  deceived  by  Coyote's  disguise ;  Hawk  Man  takes  the  two  girls  in ;  Hawk 
Man,  given  nothing  but  bones  to  eat  by  the  people,  tries  to  feed  the  girls  his  own 
flesh;  the  younger  sister  discovers  his  identity;  the  two  girls  go  to  Pine  Marten; 
Hawk  Man  causes  a  great  rain;  Pine  Marten  has  Hawk  Man's  head  cut  off 
(Achomawi  JAFL  21:163). 

Two  girls,  sent  to  Sea  Otter,  a  great  hunter,  marry  his  servant,  Old  Beaver,  by 
mistake;  the  girls  leave  Beaver  and  marry  Sea  Otter;  when  Beaver  pursues  them, 
the  people  kill  him  (Coos  JAFL  22:35). 

Despite  the  variations  to  be  noted  in  even  the  main  features  of  these 
abstractions,  notably  in  the  myth  denouement  as  compared  with  that  of 
the  Coeur  d'Alene  story  which  is  not  found  duplicated,  a  general  frame- 
work outlines  them  all :  girls  are  sent  to  a  person  of  rank  and  standing ; 
his  servant  or  inferior  takes  them  in  by  deceit;  they  manage  to  get  to 
the  one  whom  they  sought  originally;  the  servant  may  avenge  himself 
temporarily,  but  is  ultimately  overcome.  In  those  myths  most  similar 
to  the  Coeur  d'Alene  story  in  which  Skunk  has  the  role  of  the  evil-doer, 
he  consistently  has  certain  distinguishing  characteristics  and  features 
which  identify  him — his  degrading  servility,  disagreeable  noise,  danger- 
ous fluid  (its  loss  and  recovery),  delusion  by  reflections  in  the  water, 
treachery  to  his  hosts  and  talkative,  story-telling  habit.  There  is  often 
also  his  cringing  defeat  brought  about  by  his  victim's  whistling,  though 
this  is  not  included  in  the  Coeur  d'Alene  model.  Skunk  as  a  kidnapper 
and  a  chief  is  a  distinctly  Coeur  d'Alene  addition.  When  other  char- 
acters such  as  Screech  Owl,  replace  Skunk,  they  may  possess  several, 
generally  only  the  first,  of  these  distinctive  Skunk  features. 

A  Kutenai  and  a  Southern  Puget  Sound  story  have  singled  out  one 
major  element  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  myth  for  the  motivation  of  a 
short  story. 

Skunk  pursues  Panther  (Fox)  to  a  lake;  he  breaks  wind  at  Panther's  reflection 
in  the  water ;  he  lies  down  and  discovers  Panther  up  above ;  before  he  can  act, 
Panther  shoots  him  [Skunk  succeeds  in  killing  Panther  in  the  tree]  (Kutenai 
BBAE  59:24,  41,  49). 

A  girl  is  warned  by  Raccoon  Woman,  slave  of  Thunderbird  and  his  housemate, 
Skunk,  not  to  laugh  at  Skunk's  jesting  and  singing  or  she  will  be  obliged  to  become 


The  Myths  and  Tales  165 

Skunk's  wife;  the  girl  heeds  the  warning;  Master  Hunter  marries  her   {Southern 
Puget  Sound  UWPA  3:106). 

24.  The  Girls  Who  Stole  Dentalia  {Kidnapping) 

Chief  orders  daughters  to  throw  all  bones  into  water  and  not  look  at  them 

Daughters  disobey  and  discover  bones  have  turned  into  dentalia 

Girls  build  house  in  woods 

They  get  threat  for  stringing  dentalia  by  lying 

Chief  discovers  deceit  and  deserts  daughters 

Girls  cross  river 

Younger  girl  breaks  eating  taboo  and  is  deserted  by  older  sister 

Older  girl  gives  Mudhen  dentalium 

Mudhen  secures  girl  as  wife  for  her  grandson,  Redheaded  Woodpecker 

Baby  is  born  to  girl  and  kidnapped  by  four  man-eating  sisters 

Mother  pursues  Man-eaters 

Meadowlark  directs  her 

Mother  catches  full-grown  son  in  sweathouse 

Proves  motherhood  by  jumping  in  her  son's  tracks  and  throwing  a  pailful  of  water 

without  spilling  any 
Son  leaves  dummy  behind  and  flees  with  mother 
Man-eaters  pursue 

Son  and  mother  cross  water  on  her  belt ;  Man-eaters  fall  off  and  are  drowned 
Man-eaters  become  terns 
Son  turns  into  helldiver 
Mother  turns  into  robin 

There  was  a  settlement.  Many  people  lived  there.  The  chief  had  two 
daughters.1  The  chief  said  to  the  people,  "When  you  eat  meat  bring  the 
bones  over  to  me." 

The  people  ate.  At  night  they  brought  him  a  lot  of  bones  in  a  bucket. 
In  the  morning  he  said  to  his  daughters,  "Go  make  a  hole  in  the  ice, 
throw  the  bones  into  the  water,  but  don't  look  at  them.  Just  put  them 
in,  then  go  away." 

For  a  while  they  did  just  as  he  said,  but  one  day  one  of  them  thought, 
"I  wonder  what  that  noise  is,  mu  mu  mu."  She  thought  she  would  look. 
.As  soon  as  she  poured  the  bones  in  she  looked.  The  bones  had  become 
dentalia.  Soon  the  ice  would  be  full  of  them.  She  told  her  sister  about  it. 
They  talked  it  over.  "Let's  go  into  the  timber  and  make  a  house."  They 
did  so.  They  took  two  sacks  full  of  dentalia  to  their  house.  One  said 
to  her  sister,  "Ask  all  the  people  for  grass  thread.  You  must  say,  'My 
father  is  asking  for  it.'  " 

The  girl  went  about  and  asked  for  thread  from  house  to  house.  The 
people  gave  her  a  lot  because  they  thought  the  chief  wanted  it.  She  took 
it  to  their  house  in  the  timber  and  strung  the  dentalia.  At  night  they 

1  In  this  case  the  chief  and  his  daughters  were  said  to  be  Eagles. 


166  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

would  go  home  but  as  soon  as  they  had  eaten  in  the  morning  they  went 
to  the  house  they  had  made.  After  a  while  the  chief  thought,  "Why  do 
my  daughters  act  that  way?  They  never  do  any  work,  just  go  off  and 
play  all  day." 

He  decided  to  find  out.  He  trailed  them  to  their  house.  He  sneaked 
over  and  raised  the  mat  which  served  for  a  door.  He  peeped  in  and  saw 
the  two  girls  stringing  dentalia.  He  went  to  see  what  they  had  done 
with  the  bones.  There  were  none.  He  was  grieved.  He  went  home  and 
called  his  tribe  together 

"I  want  to  talk  to  you,  my  tribesmen.  Not  for  my  own,  but  for  your 
sake  I  asked  you  to  bring  me  the  bones.  Now  my  own  children  have 
stolen  them.  That  is  what  grieves  me  so.  It  wasn't  your  children  but 
mine.  I  will  desert  them.  We'll  all  go  away." 

He  took  off  the  covering  of  the  house,  pulled  up  the  poles  and  said, 
"That's  where  you  used  to  live."  Nothing  was  there.  Houses  and  people 
were  gone. 

At  night  the  girls  came  back  as  usual.  Every  fireplace  was  dark.  They 
went  in.  "What  is  the  matter?  Are  you  asleep  already?"  There  was  not 
a  sound.  The  ashes  were  cold.  Everyone  was  gone. 

The  next  morning  the  girls  packed  up  the  dentalia  and  started  off. 
They  came  to  where  a  river  forked.  They  saw  a  house  across  the  water. 
They  called,  "Hu  •  •  ■  !"  A  man  came  out.1  "Ferry  us  across,"  they  asked. 
He  answered,  "Uhu  hu  hu,  my  grandchildren,  I  have  no  canoe.  There 
is  a  ford.  Come  that  way."  They  crossed.  The  younger  girl  said,  "I'll 
fix  it." 

She  laid  a  dentalium  on  her  chin  and  said,  "If  anyone  gives  us  some- 
thing to  eat,  put  this  in  your  mouth  and  pass  the  food  through  it  like 
a  funnel." 

They  came  to  a  place  where  the  people  were  cooking  blood  and  stirring 
it.  "We  have  nothing  but  this  blood  for  food  but  you  are  welcome  to  it." 

The  blood  was  set  near  them.  They  ate,  the  older  one  passing  it  through 
the  funnel.  The  younger  girl  ate  it  in  the  usual  way.  When  they  had 
finished  eating  they  went  on.  The  older  got  far  ahead  of  her  sister. 
"Hurry,  my  younger  sister,"  she  called.  The  younger  girl  caught  up 
but  immediately  fell  far  behind.  "My  steps  are  not  big  enough  to  step 
in  your  tracks." 

Her  sister  came  back  and  beat  her.  "Why  didn't  you  do  as  I  told  you. 
Now  I'll  take  you  back."  They  turned  back.  There  was  a  ferryman. 
"Ferry  us  over,  we  are  going  to  stay  here,"  they  told  him.  He  rowed 

1  The  ferryman,  sqwa'xwmenxw,  lives  near  riffles,  stands  on  rocks  in  water. 
When  he  dives  he  stays  down  so  long  one  thinks  he  has  drowned.  He  glitters  like 
a  blackbird. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  167 

toward  them,  but  when  he  was  still  some  distance  from  the  shore  he 
said,  "Come  meet  me." 

"No,  my  moccasins  will  get  all  wet,"  said  the  older  sister. 

She  reached  over  and  ducked  him  in  the  water.  His  eyelids  turned 
back  and  became  white.  They  threw  him  into  the  canoe.  She  took  all  the 
dentalia  herself  and  left. 

After  some  time  she  heard  many  people  travelling.  Of  the  two  girls 
who  had  been  deserted  only  one  remained.  Mudhen  was  sitting  near  to 
the  trail  along  which  the  girl  was  coming.  She  thought  she  would  stay 
there.  When  the  girl  came  up  Mudhen  sat  near  the  trail  tanning  a 
buckskin.  She  folded  it  up  and  put  it  on  her  back.  She  decided  to  go 
and  tell  the  people  the  girl  was  coming.  The  girl  had  given  her  a  dentalium 
and  that  is  why  her  nose  is  shaped  like  one.  She  ran  and  caught  up  with 
the  travellers.  She  was  holding  her  nose,  "Tso  tsd  na  nd,  I  am  going  to 
see  her  who  was  deserted,"  she  said. 

"Why  are  you  holding  your  nose  like  that?"  "The  girl  paid  me." 
"Let's  see !"  She  let  go  her  nose  and  they  saw  it  was  white  and  shaped 
like  a  dentalium.  She  said,  "She  is  coming." 

The  chief  said  to  the  men,  "You  sit  around.  She'll  shake  hands  with 
you  all.  Whichever  one  of  you  likes  her  can  have  her." 

Mudhen  ran  out.  She  met  the  girl  and  said  to  her,  "You  are  going 
to  shake  hands.  Whichever  of  the  men  you  like  you  can  have.  My  grand- 
son is  handsome.  You  pick  him  and  go  with  him.  I'll  point  him  out  to 
you.  When  you  shake  hands  with  him  pull  him.  If  he  doesn't  like  you 
I'll  push  him." 

The  people  sat  waiting  for  her.  She  began  to  shake  hands.  Every 
time  Mudhen  thought,  "She'll  take  that  one."  But  no !  She  came  to  her 
grandson,  Redheaded  Woodpecker.  When  the  girl  shook  hands  Wood- 
pecker jerked  back.  Mudhen  pushed  him.  "Go  with  her,"  she  whispered. 

He  went  with  the  girl  and  they  left  the  camp.  They  came  to  another 
settlement.  The  girl  had  a  baby.  She  made  a  wide  babyboard  for  it  and 
covered  it  all  over  with  dentalia.  They  then  dotted  it  with  Woodpecker's 
head  feathers.  Everyone  liked  the  baby.  Every  morning  the  people  took 
it  with  them.  When  he  cried  they  brought  him  back  but  left  him  just 
long  enough  to  nurse.  One  night  they  did  not  bring  him  back.  The  woman 
was  lonesome  for  her  baby  and  went  to  the  chief.  He  called,  "Bring 
back  the  baby.  His  mother  is  grieving  for  him." 

They  could  not  find  the  baby  anywhere.  Someone  said,  "At  night  some- 
one stuck  her  hands  in  through  the  mats  of  the  house.  Her  hands  were 
sticky.  She  must  be  the  one  who  took  it."  That  was  the  last  time  it  was 
seen.  They  found  out  that  four  man-eating  sisters  had  the  baby.  Then 
the  mother  took  a  sackful  of  dentalia  and  tracked  the  monsters.  She 


168  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

went  far.  As  she  was  going  along  she  stepped  on  a  stick  in  the  trail, 
"aninininin,  I  was  going  to  tell  you  some  news,  but  you  broke  my  leg." 
"Oh,  I  am  sorry.  I'll  fix  it  again." 

She  smoothed  down  the  leg.  Meadowlark,  for  it  was  she,  was  all  right 
again.  Then  she  said,  "I  was  waiting  to  tell  you.  You  can't  get  your 
child  back;  he  is  just  like  a  wild  animal."  The  girl  gave  Meadowlark 
Bluebird's  necklace  as  a  reward.  "You  are  near  him  now,"  she  con- 
tinued. "In  the  morning  the  Man-eaters  leave  home.  They  round  up 
the  animals  here.  Your  child  just  sits  and  kills  what  he  wants  of  the 
deer.  They  have  a  sweathouse.  Early  in  the  morning  you  hide  in  the 
mud.  There  you  will  get  your  baby  if  you  think  you  will  live  through  it. 
They  might  kill  you.  Grab  him  and  do  your  best  to  hold  on.  Tell  him, 
'I  am  your  mother.'  " 

The  woman  hid  herself  near  the  sweathouse.  About  two  o'clock  at 
night  she  saw  a  light  being  carried  to  the  sweathouse.  She  sat  very  near 
the  door.  She  saw  her  son  who  was  now  a  man  make  a  fire.  It  got  redhot. 
He  put  rocks  in  it.  He  went  in  feetfirst.  She  grasped  him  firmly  around 
the  waist.  He  ran  out,  "ana 'ana' ' ,  something  is  hanging  on  to  me.  Who 
are  you?"  The  woman  said,  "I  am  your  mother,  be  quiet,  1  am  your 
mother."  "Why  should  I  have  more  than  four  mothers?"  "I'll  show  you 
how  it  is.  Be  quiet !"  "No.  You  are  an  ugly  thing !"  "Be  quiet !  I  am  your 
mother.  It  is  true  what  I  tell  you." 

He  became  quiet.  She  said,  "You  have  not  four  mothers,  but  one. 
Have  you  forgotten  your  real  and  only  mother?  My  child,  you  are  my 
only  son.  One  of  those  others  calls  you  'daughter's  son,'  another  calls 
you  'son's  son.'  That  is  not  the  way  to  call  one's  real  child."  "Which  of 
the  four  is  my  mother?"  "I  will  keep  on  saying  'You  are  my  child.'  You 
will  never  be  anything  else  to  me."  He  thought,  "It  must  be  true." 
"When  you  were  a  baby  our  people  liked  you  so  they  were  always  taking 
you  along  with  them.  You  were  kidnapped.  I  trailed  the  kidnappers  and 
only  now  I  found  you." 

"Let  me  go  then.  I  will  jump.  If  it  is  true  you  are  my  mother,  you 
will  jump  right  in  my  tracks."  "Don't  run  away  from  me."  "No,  I  only 
want  to  prove  it." 

She  let  him  go.  He  jumped  far.  Exactly  where  he  stepped  she  stepped. 
Then  he  said,  "Truly  you  seem  to  be  my  mother.  Now  we'll  throw 
water.  If  it  does  not  spill,  I  will  believe  you  are  really  my  mother." 

He  threw  a  pailful  of  water.  She  threw  it  also  and  not  a  drop  spilled 
out.  "Yes,  it  must  be  true.  My  mothers  are  not  real  people.  They  will 
find  out  and  will  kill  you.  I'll  sweat  here.  Then  I'll  go  to  them  and  say, 
'You  sleepyheads,  you  are  still  asleep.'  I'll  say,  'Eat!'  After  they  have 
eaten  they  will  leave.  Then  I'll  round  up  the  animals.  I'll  sit  over  there. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  169 

We'll  make  a  dummy.  We'll  put  my  coat  and  hat  on  him  and  give  him 
an  arrow.  They'll  see  it  and  come  back.  You  go  to  the  house  and  eat  lots 
of  meat.  I'll  come  in  and  say,  'Get  up,  my  mother !' 

"  'What  is  the  matter  ?  Your  mother  must  have  come/  they  will  say. 
I  will  say,  'Have  I  a  mother?'  My  mother's  mother  will  say,  'I'm  just 
saying  that.'  My  father's  mother  will  say,  'Hurry  up !  His  mother  must 
have  caught  up  with  us.  He  never  talks  like  that.'  I  will  say  again,  'Have 
I  a  mother  ?'  Go  on,  you  women.  They  will  say,  'Boy,  you  sound  guilty.'  " 

They  fixed  the  dummy  as  if  he  were  ready  to  shoot.  The  four  Man- 
eaters  would  make  a  pile  of  grass,  then  set  fire  to  it  and  make  a  thick 
smoke.  They  would  fly  up  to  disguise  their  tracks  and  light  again.  They 
rounded  up  the  animals  toward  the  boy.  They  said,  "Shoot!"  He  did 
not  shoot.  The  animals  all  ran  away.  One  said,  "I  am  going  to  teach  you 
a  lesson."  They  caught  up  with  him  and  hit  him  with  a  stick  which  went 
all  to  pieces.  "It  was  all  in  vain,"  they  said. 

They  looked  back.  "I  suspected  his  mother  was  behind  all  this,"  said 
one.  "He  talked  senseless  this  morning.  There  is  no  place  we  do  not 
know  on  the  earth.  We  ought  to  be  able  to  find  her."  They  went  back 
to  their  house.  They  trailed  the  boy  and  his  mother.  The  boy  said,  "They 
are  following  us.  Let's  cross  the  water." 

The  mother  untied  her  belt.  She  threw  it  across  the  water  and  they 
walked  across  on  it.  She  put  it  on  again.  The  Man-eaters  saw  them  cross- 
ing. "You  have  tired  us  all  out.  We'll  get  you,"'  they  threatened.  "You'll 
die."  The  boy  and  his  mother  went  on.  "Where  did  you  cross?"  asked 
the  Man-eaters." 

"Since  you  intend  to  murder  us  we  won't  help  you  across.  Those  who 
are  angry  enough  can  find  a  way  of  their  own.  Untie  your  belts  and  cross 
the  way  we  did."  One  tried  it  but  the  belt  floated.  Again  the  Man-eaters 
urged  the  woman  to  throw  her  belt  down.  "No,  not  when  you  are  going 
to  kill  us,"  she  called  back.  "We  are  not  going  to  kill  you.  We  only  want 
to  shake  hands  with  your  son  and  with  you." 

She  untied  her  belt  and  threw  it  on  the  waves.  They  started  to  cross. 
"No,  its  too  wobbly!"  The  mother  said,  "Put  rocks  inside  your  clothes. 
Then  it  will  be  steady."  They  filled  their  clothes  with  rocks.  It  was  heavy, 
but  it  stood  firm.  As  they  crossed  the  mother  pulled  her  belt  toward  her. 
"Stop  pulling,"  they  cried,  but  she  kept  on.  In  the  middle  they  sank. 
They  came  up  on  the  other  side  as  terns.  "You'll  no  longer  be  man- 
eaters.  You'll  be  animals  which  live  along  the  river.  When  people  come 
you  will  not  fly  up." 

The  mother  and  her  son  went  into  the  hills  at  the  edge  of  the  cliffs. 
The  mother  got  thirsty  and  said,  "Come  get  me  some  water."  The  boy 
went  down  to  the  water  and  played,  bathing  and  idling  a  long  time. 


170  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

"Come,  I'm  thirsty !"  He  brought  the  water.  She  drank.  This  happened 
several  times.  Then  the  mother  said  to  her  son,  "I  want  to  talk  to  you. 
Go  fast  through  this  timber.  I  feel  as  if  I  were  going  to  die.  We'll 
separate  now.  It  was  good  to  see  you  again."  He  said,  "All  right !"  "You 
will  be  Helldiver,  I  will  be  Robin.  You  like  the  water  too  well  to  live 
with  me." 

She  cut  up  dentalia  and  threw  them  over  him.  The  rest  she  threw 
on  herself.  That  is  why  robin  has  white  streaks.  Helldiver  has  streaks 
also.  She  said,  "When  the  wind  blows,  you  will  fly.  You  will  make  the 
sound  'yaxa  yaxa' }  As  for  me,  I  will  be  a  ghost.  I  will  sit  on  a  tree  near 
the  houses  of  people  and  make  my  sound  there  when  people  have  a  death. 
Since  you  like  water  you  will  live  in  water.  As  for  me  I  will  live  in  the 
brush.  Good  day." 

That  is  the  end  of  the  road. 

The  Kutenai  interweave  the  two  stories  of  The  Girls  Who  Stole  Den- 
talia and  the  Story  of  Lynx  (tale  9)  into  one  myth : 

Young  Buck  orders  his  relatives  to  throw  the  soft  part  of  rib  bones  into  the 
water ;  his  sisters,  Fawn  and  Young  Doe,  disobey  and  take  the  bones  which  have 
turned  into  dentalia  out  of  the  water ;  Buck  takes  all  the  people  down  a  hole  and 
deserts  his  sisters ;  he  refuses  to  let  them  come  down  to  him ;  the  girls  cross  a 
river  on  stilts  and  enter  Water  Ousel's  tipi ;  Fawn  swallows  the  blood  Water 
Ousel  gives  them  to  eat ;  she  misses  a  step  while  following  in  her  sister's  tracks 
and  gives  birth  to  a  fawn ;  Young  Doe  sends  her  back  to  Water  Ousel ;  Fawn  holds 
Water  Ousel  under  water  to  punish  him ;  Young  Doe  approaches  a  settlement ; 
Rabbit  waylays  her  on  the  trail  and,  when  addressed  as  husband,  takes  her  to  his 
grandmother,  Frog,  who  hides  her ;  Lynx  secretly  impregnates  her,  she  has  a  baby, 
the  three  are  deserted,  Lynx  kills  many  deer  and  the  starving  people  return  to 
them ;  Lynx's  child  is  lent  around  among  the  people ;  Toad  and  Owl  stretch  out 
their  hands  for  the  child  and  kidnap  it;  Young  Doe  follows  them,  takes  back  her 
boy  and  flees  up  a  tree  with  him  with  the  kidnappers  in  pursuit ;  she  calls  her  dog, 
Grizzly  Bear,  who  bites  Toad  and  Owl  and  eats  their  dog,  a  mouse;  Doe  reaches 
home  with  her  child ;  she  and  Lynx  have  another  son  and  the  two  boys  become  the 
sun  and  the  moon  (Dyer). 

A  Thompson  myth  similarly  opens  with  an  introduction  resembling 
that  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  story,  but  the  adventures  of  the  girls  deserted 
for  their  violation  of  a  taboo  proceed  along  different  lines  to  culminate 
once  again,  as  in  the  Kutenai  myth,  in  a  direct  parallel  to  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  Lynx  story. 

A  man  instructs  his  two  sisters  not  to  visit  his  bathing  place ;  the  girls  disobey 
and  discover  the  dentalia  which  have  come  from  needles  from  their  brother's  sponge ; 

xWhen  people  hear  helldiver  they  say  wind  is  going  to  blow. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  171 

they  take  the  dentalia ;  their  brother  leaves  them  and  goes  to  the  lower  world ;  the 
girls  are  unable  to  descend,  for  they  break  the  taboo  and  open  their  eyes ;  their 
brother  sends  them  to  their  aunt's  home,  the  younger  girl  breaks  the  taboo  and 
stops  off  at  Coyote's  house,  where  she  eats  and  becomes  pregnant;  she  is  deserted 
by  her  older  sister;  Elk,  the  older  girl's  aunt,  overtakes  her  in  a  race  with  young 
men  and  hides  her  from  them;  Lynx  spits  down  upon  the  girl  and  impregnates 
her  (MAM  12:213). 

In  a  briefer  Thompson  version  the  brother  takes  pity  upon  his  deserted 
sisters  who  are  unable  to  descend  to  him  in  the  lower  world  and  returns 
to  live  with  them  (MAM  12:373). 

A  third  Thompson  variant  leaves  no  basis  for  comparison  with  the 
Coeur  d'Alene  model,  except  in  breaking  the  taboo  and  desertion : 

An  older  sister,  annoyed  by  many  suitors,  sets  out  with  her  younger  sister  for 
her  grandmother's  house;  Coyote  makes  it  so  cold,  the  younger  girl  insists  on  en- 
tering his  house  four  times  to  warm  herself ;  Coyote  impregnates  her ;  her  sister 
leaves  her  behind;  the  elder  girl's  grandmother  hides  her  granddaughter  from  the 
men  who  are  racing  for  her;  Lynx  impregnates  the  girl  (MAFLS  6:36). 

The  element  of  drowning  an  enemy  while  he  is  crossing  the  water  in 
pursuit  of  his  prey  has  a  wide  distribution.  A  typical  example  from 
Thompson  mythology  in  which,  as  in  the  Coeur  d'Alene  model,  a  belt  is 
the  medium  for  the  crossing,  is  recorded  bellow. 

A  youth,  fleeing  with  the  daughter  of  a  man  of  magic  power,  throws  his  belt 
down  and  crosses  the  lake  upon  it ;  the  girl's  parents  follow  in  pursuit ;  the  girl 
gives  the  belt  a  twist  and  her  parents  are  thrown  into  the  water;  they  turn  into 
ducks  (MAM  12:291).  In  a  variant,  the  boy  draws  in  the  belt  so  that  the  girl's 
father  is  unable  to  cross  (MAM  12:383). 

Beyond  the  story  of  the  theft  of  Young  Doe's  child  in  the  Kutenai 
myth  outlined  above,  no  further  duplications  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  kid- 
napping episode  were  found  in  the  myth  bodies  under  consideration  in 
this  study.  The  account  of  the  theft  of  a  baby  by  Lion  and  Crane  as  told 
in  an  Upper  Chehalis  myth  takes  a  different  turn.  After  the  boy  has 
escaped  with  Crane's  assistance  from  his  captor,  Lion,  he  arrives  in 
heaven;  here  he  obtains  a  wife  and  becomes  the  father  of  twins  born 
stuck  together ;  he  eventually  returns  to  earth  to  his  mother  and  brother. 
Bluejay  separates  the  twins  who  die  (MAFLS  27:83). 


25.  Thunder 


Thunder  kidnaps  hunter's  wife 
Hunter  looks  for  wife 
Four  men  give  him  needles 


172  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

He  climbs  cliff  with  aid  of  needles,  Chipmunk,  Gray  Squirrel,  Squirrel  and  feathers 

Finds  wife  in  Thunder's  home 

Woman  hides  husband 

Thunder  sleeps 

Woman  escapes  with  husband,  taking  Thunder's  shirts 

Thunder  helpless  without  shirts 

There  was  a  man  who  would  go  away  in  the  daytime.  In  the  evening 
he  would  come  back.  His  wife  was  visited  by  Thunder  when  he  was 
gone.  One  day  he  said,  "I'm  coming  for  you."  He  took  her.  In  the  eve- 
ning the  husband  came  back.  His  wife  was  gone.  He  sat  down  and 
thought,  "I  wonder  where  she  went." 

After  I  don't  know  how  many  days  he  thought,  "I'll  go  look  for  my 
wife."  He  went.  Far  he  went.  He  came  to  a  house  and  went  in.  He  was 
said  to,  "Ah!  Are  you  looking  for  your  wife?"  "Yes!"  "You  poor 
thing!  You'll  never  see  her  again.  Thunder  took  her."  "All  right!  I'm  go- 
ing to  search  for  her." 

The  owner  of  the  house  gave  him  four  small  needles.  "Go  in  that 
direction,"  he  directed.  He  went.  He  came  to  a  house  and  went  in.  "Are 
you  looking  for  your  wife?"  he  was  asked.  "Yes."  "You  are  to  be  pitied, 
you'll  never  see  her  again."  "All  right !  I  am  looking  for  her." 

This  one  also  gave  him  four  needles.  He  told  the  man,  "My  older 
brother  will  point  it  out  to  you."  He  went  on,  far  he  went.  He  came 
to  a  house  and  the  same  conversation  was  held.  He  was  given  four 
needles. 

A  fourth  time  it  happened.  "Thunder  has  your  wife.  You'll  never 
catch  him,"  he  was  warned.  "They  gave  you  those  things  for  nothing. 
Go  on.  Not  far  from  here  you'll  see  a  cliff.  There  use  the  needles.  If  it 
wastes  away  do  not  leave  it.  The  cliff  is  high.  If  you  could  climb  to  the 
top  you  might  see  your  wife,  but  you  will  never  get  there."  "All  right ! 
I'll  go." 

He  saw  the  cliff.  He  took  out  a  needle  and  stuck  it  into  the  rock.  He 
took  out  another  and  stuck  it  in,  and  thus  with  a  third  and  a  fourth. 
Then  they  were  all  used  and  he  saw  no  woman.  Now  there  was  nothing 
against  the  rock.1 

Soon  Chipmunk  hopped  into  sight,  patatsatatsatatsat,  up  the  cliff  she 
leaped.  "Please  help  me  get  to  my  goal,"  begged  the  man.  "Take  me  to 
the  top.  Have  pity  on  me.  My  fingernails  are  all  worn  down  to  the 
flesh."  She  said,  "Hold  on  to  my  tail."  He  held  on  to  her  tail.  She 
leaped  up,  patatsatatsatatsat.  They  had  not  gone  far  when  she  com- 
plained of  her  fingernails.  The  man  took  out  a  needle.  Then  Chipmunk 
ran  away. 

1  The  needles  must  have  made  a  magic  ladder. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  173 

Soon  he  saw  something  against  the  rock.  It  was  Squirrel  leaping  along. 
"Take  pity  on  me.  See  how  my  fingernails  are  worn  down."  "Take  hold 
of  my  tail."  He  took  her  tail.  She  leaped  among  the  rocks.  She  had  not 
gone  far  when  she  said,  "My  fingernails  are  worn  close."  He  took  out  a 
needle  and  begged  piteously.  This  time  Squirrel  came  leaping,  nal  nat, 
and  told  him  to  hold  her  tail.  Thus  they  climbed  until  she  was  worn  out. 
He  took  out  a  needle  and  hung  back.  Soon  feathers  came.  He  said  to 
them,  "Help  me!"  "Long  ago  you  should  have  asked  me.  Take  hold 
of  me." 

He  took  hold.  They  were  blown  to  the  rock  and  touched  it,  then  they 
were  blown  away  again.  Four  times  they  blew  out  and  back.1  Then  they 
were  at  the  top.  The  feathers  said,  "Go !  The  rest  you  can  climb  alone. 
The  one  who  is  there  is  not  a  person.  He  will  kill  you.  You  will  see  all 
the  trees  broken  from  lightning.  That  is  because  he  goes  hunting  and 
when  he  returns  at  night  and  comes  into  the  house  lightning  hits  the 
trees.  The  woman  is  there.  He  takes  her  by  the  arms  and  throws  her 
aside  and  says,  'Your  husband  is  on  earth.'  Then  he  digs  and  digs  in 
vain.  At  last  he  will  be  quiet.  All  right  then.  Go!  You  may  see  your 
wife." 

He  went,  he  went  far.  He  saw  splintered  trees,  rocks  broken  in  two 
and  at  last  a  house.  He  went  in  and  saw  his  wife  sitting  there.  "You.  are 
dead.  No  longer  are  you  a  person."  She  said,  "Sit  down.  Eat  well.  If 
you  die  it  will  be  good.  It  is  easy  to  know  when  he  is  coming.  The  food 
is  ready  for  him."  He  finished  eating. 

The  woman  said,  "We'll  make  a  hole  under  the  bed.  You  sit  in  the 
hole.  If  he  says,  'It  is  not  true  there  is  no  one  in  the  hole,'  and  throws 
me  aside  and  digs,  just  keep  still.  After  his  excitement  he  will  quiet 
down.  Then  I'll  cook.  We'll  eat.  Then  he'll  talk  nicely.  He'll  laugh  and 
tell  me  stories.  At  night  we'll  sleep.  I'll  tell  stories,  I'll  talk  and  laugh 
until  he  is  asleep.  I'll  tickle  him  to  prove  he  is  fast  asleep.  Then  I'll  dig 
you  out.  You  come  out  and  we'll  go  away." 

Just  as  Thunder  was  going  to  sleep  the  woman  tickled  him.  But  he 
was  snoring  xu  xu  xu.  She  jumped  up  and  dug  out  her  husband.  She 
said  to  him,  "When  he  goes  to  bed  he  hangs  up  his  shirt."  All  the  old 
shirts  were  hanging  on  the  wall.  The  woman  took  all  of  them,  old  and 
new,  along.  She  threw  the  old  ones  away,  saying,  "They  are  all  torn." 

They  ran  to  the  edge  of  the  cliff.  The  woman  put  on  the  good  shirt. 
(Interpolation  by  informant,  "I  don't  know,  I  think  her  husband  hung 
on  her  belt.")  They  flew.  They  went  to  the  earth.  She  took  off  the  shirt, 
told  it,  "Be  torn  in  pieces,"  and  threw  it  away.  They  went  to  their  house. 

1The  feathers  were  so  light  they  were  blown  in  so  they  touched  the  cliff,  then 
out  again. 


174  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

Meanwhile  Thunder  slept.  He  woke.  The  woman  was  gone.  He  got 
up  and  saw  the  hole.  He  said,  "There's  no  place  I  don't  know.  You  are 
going  to  die."  He  went  to  get  his  shirt.  It  was  gone.  The  old  ones  were 
gone  as  well  as  the  new  one.  He  flopped  down.  He  cried. 

The  end  of  the  trail. 

In  the  numerous  myths  of  neighboring  tribes  concerned  with  the  kid- 
napping of  a  man's  wife,  including  the  Thunder  Bird  stories,  there  is 
no  development  of  plot  corresponding  to  that  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  myth, 
where  Thunder  is  the  kidnapper. 

An  isolated  example  of  the  ascent  by  means  of  feathers,  placed  in  a 
different  setting,  may  be  noted  among  the  Chilcotin,  two  examples  of 
sky  people's  helplessness  when  deprived  of  their  clothes  are  found  in 
Kathlamet  and  Quinault  mythology : 

A  boy  wishes  to  reach  the  sky  in  order  to  get  wives  from  the  sun;  the  boy  has 
his  sister  blow  on  a  pile  of  duck  feathers,  which  thereupon  carry  him  aloft  (the  boy 
obtains  the  sun's  two  daughters  for  wives ;  however  he  forgets  to  thank  an  old 
woman  helper  in  the  sky  so  his  wives  are  taken  away  from  him  again)  {Chilcotin 
MAM  4:24). 

The  Earth  people  attack  the  Southwest  Winds  in  the  sky;  the  Sky  Women  are 
unable  to  flee,  for  they  cannot  put  on  their  coats ;  the  coat-strings  have  been  cut ; 
the  Earth  People  kill  the  Sky  Women  {Kathlamet  BBAE  26:70). 

The  Earth  People  attack  the  Sky  People  in  order  to  recover  Raven's  daughter 
who  had  wished  for  a  star  husband  and  awakened  in  the  sky ;  the  Sky  Women 
cannot  fasten  on  their  clothes,  in  which  to  run  away,  for  the  girdles  and  fastenings 
have  been  cut ;  they  are  obliged  to  stay  (the  Earth  People  retreat  down  the  arrow 
chain  with  the  girl;  it  breaks;  they  are  left  hanging  in  the  sky  as  stars)  {Quinault 
MAM  4:109). 

26.  Waterbird  Contests  for  Woman  (Gift  Test) 

Waterbird  is  insulted  by  girl 

Girl  gives  him  ring  and  handkerchief  and  sets  date  for  his  return 

Waterbird  forgets  date 

Waterbird  hurries  to  girl's  house  and  becomes  dish-washer 

Girl  tests  suitors  by  handkerchief  and  ring 

Waterbird  becomes  girl's  husband 

Waterbird  does  all  the  work 

Four  rattlesnakes  steal  girl 

Four  Thunders  burst  Snakes'  rock  and  destroy  Snakes 

Girl  restored  to  Waterbird 

Waterbird  lived  with  his  mother.  One  morning  he  went  along  the  river 
looking  for  salmon.  Suddenly  he  was  said  to,  "The  chief  is  looking  for 


The  Myths  and  Tales  175 

a  rotten  salmon."  A  woman  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  said  it.  Water- 
bird  was  very  much  ashamed.  The  next  day  the  same  thing  happened. 
He  thought,  "I'll  go  get  her."  He  went  and  found  she  was  very  pretty. 
She  gave  him  a  ring  and  a  handkerchief,  both  of  which  were  very  un- 
usual and  expensive.  He  took  them  and  put  them  in  his  pocket  with  the 
corner  of  the  handkerchief  showing.  She  set  a  day  when  he  was  to 
return  to  her. 

He  forgot  all  about  what  she  told  him.  After  about  two  weeks  or 
more  his  mother  said  to  him,  "They  are  having  a  celebration.  I  think 
they  must  have  taken  your  girl."  Then  he  remembered  what  the  girl 
had  told  him  and  was  so  excited  he  nearly  cried.  He  got  ready  and 
walked  all  night.  He  came  to  her  house.  The  people  were  showing  their 
things.  The  chief  said,  "Tomorrow  absolutely  all  of  you  come !"  The 
next  day  all  got  ready.  Waterbird  said  nothing.  He  had  become  a  kitchen 
boy  and  was  washing  dishes  for  the  cook.  The  people  all  showed  their 
handkerchiefs  and  rings  but  none  was  the  right  one.  Then  the  cook  said, 
"I  have  a  dishwasher  who  stayed  home."  The  people  talked  over  the 
matter.  "Go  call  him!"  they  said.  "Tell  him  to  bring  his  handkerchief 
and  ring." 

After  that  they  all  displayed  their  goods,  but  the  girl's  handkerchief 
was  not  among  them.  Then  Waterbird  stood  up.  My !  he  was  handsome. 
Strange  he  looked,  not  at  all  like  the  dishwasher.  No  one  recognized  him. 
He  took  out  the  handkerchief  and  gave  it  to  the  woman.  "This  is  mine," 
she  said,  "You  may  go  now.  This  is  the  one  I  will  take  for  my  partner." 

Waterbird  took  the  woman  home  to  his  mother.  In  about  two  weeks 
he  got  tired  because  he  had  to  do  all  the  work.  The  girl  did  nothing. 
He  cooked,  fetched  wood  and  did  everything.  One  day  he  said  to  her, 
"Go  bring  in  the  wood.  It  is  already  tied  up  ready  to  pack." 

He  went  out.  When  he  came  in  again  to  look  for  her  she  was  gone. 
Four  rattlesnakes  had  taken  her  away.  He  went  into  the  house,  lay 
down,  covered  his  head  with  a  blanket  and  mourned  four  days.  Then 
he  said  to  his  mother,  "Go  get  bark  from  a  pine  tree  and  tie  up  four 
bundles  of  pine  bark." 

She  brought  back  the  four  parcels  of  pinebark.  Then  he  got  up,  washed 
his  face,  took  his  little  coat,  went  out  and  waved  it  giving  a  warwhoop. 
Four  times  he  waved  it.  Thunder  spoke  warara  in  the  sky  and  four 
Thunders  came  down.  They  were  his  mother's  brothers.  "Why  did  you 
call  us?"  "I  want  you  to  eat,"  he  said  and  gave  each  a  parcel  of  pine 
bark.1 

1The  Thunders  must  like  pine  bark  because  Lightning  peels  off  the  bark  at  a 
certain  season  of  the  year.  Lightning  and  Thunder  are  the  same. 


176  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

"My !  Thank  you !"  they  said  because  they  liked  it.  They  laughed. 
They  were  glad.  When  they  had  finished  eating  Waterbird  said,  "I  want 
you  to  get  my  wife  back  for  me.  The  rattlesnakes  took  her."  The  eldest 
Thunder  said,  "We  know  it,  but  it  is  impossble.  They  live  in  a  rock." 
Then  Waterbird  cried  and  begged,  "Please  get  her  back  for  me."  The 
youngest  Thunder  said,  "Yes,  let's  get  her  for  him." 

They  took  Waterbird  to  the  door  of  the  Snake's  house.  There  the  girl 
was,  tied  with  a  chain  under  her  arms  and  fastened  to  the  wall  with  a 
lock.  The  Snakes  were  warned,  "Waterbird  is  coming  after  the  woman." 
"No,  no,  it  is  not  easy  to  give  her  up."  The  father  snake  said,  "Give  her 
back  to  Waterbird.  His  uncles  are  awful." 

Snake  refused.  Then  the  eldest  Thunder  rose  and  talked,  war  war. 
He  struck  the  rock.  Pieces  of  the  rock  flew  off.  The  Snakes  laughed.  The 
second  Thunder  rose  and  spoke  war  war.  Parts  of  the  cave  door  broke 
off.  Again  the  Snake  laughed.  The  third  Thunder  went  up  and  spoke. 
The  Snakes'  mother  and  father  cried  and  begged,  "Go  give  her  back  to 
Waterbird."  Then  the  youngest  Thunder  put  Waterbird  close  to  the 
door  and  threatened,  "If  you  don't  give  her  up  you'll  die."  "No,"  they 
refused  and  laughed  mockingly. 

Then  he  went  up.  He  struck  everywhere  so  the  rock  crumbled.  The 
Snakes  were  killed.  Only  the  woman  was  left.  Waterbird  took  her  and 
the  Thunders  took  them  all  back  to  his  mother's  house.  They  told  him, 
"Now  you  do  not  need  to  watch  her  any  more.  Let  her  go."  Waterbird 
said  to  her,  "Bathe  for  four  days  because  you  smell  awful."  She  did 
so  and  then  she  was  his  alone. 

That  is  the  end. 


There  are  no  parallels  for  this  Coeur  d'Alene  myth  with  its  borrowed 
European  elements  in  its  entirety.  Two  examples  from  Shuswap  myth- 
ology, similarly  derived  from  European  folklore,  are  significant  for  com- 
parative purposes.  Each  contains  the  test  element  as  a  method  of 
identification. 

Alamer  rescues  two  girls  from  a  chief  who  had  stolen  them;  the  girls  give 
Alamer  a  ring  and  a  silk  handkerchief;  hostile  chiefs  set  Alamer  adrift;  Fox  helps 
Alamer  ashore;  Alamer  produces  the  ring  and  handkerchief  and  claims  the  two 
girls ;  the  hostile  chiefs  are  killed ;  Alamer  takes  one  girl  for  his  wife,  his  helper 
receives  the  other  (MAM  4:732). 

Sna'naz  rescues  the  chief's  daughters  from  Seven  Heads,  the  Cannibal,  and  cuts 
out  Seven  Head's  seven  tongues ;  a  slave  finds  Seven  Heads  dead,  takes  credit  for 
the  victory  and  claims  the  hand  of  the  girl ;  the  girl  examines  her  suitors,  but  fails 
to  identify  her  rescuer  among  them ;  she  recognizes  an  ugly  stranger  sitting  in  the 


The  Myths  and  Tales  177 

kitchen;  the  stranger,  Sna'naz,  produces  the  seven  tongues;  Sna'naz  becomes  the 
girl's  husband  (MAM  4:755). 

There  is  however  in  a  Kutenai  Thunder  Bird  story  a  close  parallel 
for  the  last  un-European  part  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  myth,  the  theft  of 
the  hero's  wife  by  the  rattlesnakes.  The  correspondence  to  be  noted  be- 
tween these  two  narratives  is  especially  satisfying  because  of  the 
tendency  of  the  one  myth  to  elucidate  the  vague  points  in  the  other, 
and  vice  versa : 

A  boy,  whose  father  had  disappeared,  takes  for  a  wife  a  chief's  elder  daughter 
who  said  she  would  never  marry;  he  is  warned  not  to  have  her  do  outside  work; 
one  day  the  girl  fetches  water  for  her  husband  and  disappears;  the  boy  has  his 
grandmother  prepare  for  visitors ;  he  dresses  up  and  paints  himself ;  three  spirits 
similarly  decorated  arrive ;  lightning  darts  from  their  pipe  smoke,  each  of  the  three 
disappears ;  they  await  the  boy  on  a  mountain  top ;  they  help  him  to  open  up  a 
large  rock ;  he  sees  his  wife  inside  surrounded  by  rattlesnakes ;  the  spirits  burst 
the  snakes'  rock  with  their  lightning;  the  boy  recovers  his  wife  and  becomes  her 
boss ;  the  girl  had  had  the  spirit  of  the  rattlesnake  and  it  was  that  which  had  told 
her  not  to  marry  (Dyer). 

27.  Water  Monster  Woman 

A  boy  pokes  out  eyes  of  children 

Boy  and  his  sister  deserted 

Boy  pokes  out  eyes  of  animals 

Sister  leaves  him 

Boy  fishes  up  abnormal  fish,  Water  Monster  Woman  who  eats  people 

His  grandfather,  Fox,  warns  him 

Boy  and  family  visit  Water  Woman's  under-water  country 

Water  Monsters  try  to  kill  guests 

Four  bushes  save  visitors  from  drowning ;  they  return  home  safely 

There  were  children.  They  would  go  far  away  from  the  other  people 
and  play  in  the  morning.  A  boy  saw  them.  He  would  quarrel  with  them 
and,'  for  no  reason,  become  angry  and  poke  their  eyes  with  something 
sharp  he  had.  Then  each  child  had  only  one  eye.  His  father  said  to  the 
people,  "It  is  really  too  bad.  You  must  grieve,  you  who  have  children. 
Let  us  leave  him  with  no  one  but  his  sister." 

The  boy  had  not  poked  out  his  sister's  eyes.  The  father  told  the  sister 
to  take  her  brother  to  be  bitten  by  Grizzly.  She  went  with  her  brother. 
The  people  left.  The  boy  sat  down.  The  girl  drove  the  animals  toward 
him,  Grizzly  Bear,  Black  Bear,  Wolf  and  Cougar.  The  boy  poked  out 
their  eyes  one  after  another.  All  the  animals  were  one-eyed,  all  but 
Grizzly. 


178  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

The  girl  ran  home.  Grizzly  ran  straight  toward  the  boy  who  poked 
his  eye  out.  As  Grizzly  was  dying  he  called  to  the  girl,  "Is  this  the  one 
you  mean?"  Grizzly  had  sandals  of  wood.  The  boy  sat  and  wondered 
where  his  sister  had  gone.  He  went  to  find  her.  He  found  tracks  which 
showed  she  was  running.  He  thought,  "If  I  ever  get  to  the  house  I'll 
punch  her  eye  out  too.  She's  absolutely  no  good." 

He  came  to  the  house  and  went  in.  She  was  not  there.  He  went  into 
the  neighbor's  houses  but  she  was  not  there.  He  sat  down  and  cried.  At 
night  he  went  to  the  sweathouse  and  stayed.  In  the  morning  Magpie 
suddenly  came  to  the  door.  He  punched  out  her  eye,  skinned  her  and 
hung  the  skin  by  the  door  to  dry.  He  did  this  to  ten  magpies.  He  ate 
the  meat.  The  skins  he  sewed  together  and  made  himself  a  blanket.  He 
was  glad  and  danced. 

A  monster  who  had  two  daughters  said  to  the  youngest,  "Go,  get  him 
for  our  food."  The  boy  got  hungry.  He  thought,  "It's  true  there  are 
many  fish  in  the  river.  I'll  fish  and  get  some."  He  fished.  He  got  many 
fish  but  all  were  abnormal ;  some  were  halves,  some  quarters,  all  were 
queer.  Once  again  he  pulled  the  line.  It  resisted ;  a  woman  came  up.  She 
sat  there  with  the  hook  in  her  mouth.  The  boy  was  frightened  and  ran. 
He  ran  fast  and  came  to  a  row  of,  houses.  He  ran  into  the  last  one.  His 
mother's  father,  Fox,  lived  there.  He  told  Fox,  "I  had  a  bite,  it  was  a 
woman.  She  was  sitting  there  when  I  ran  back."  Fox  said,  "Your  luck 
has  changed.  You  will  have  bad  luck."  He  called  the  people  to  go  with 
him  to  see  the  woman.  When  they  came  up  to  her  old  man  Fox  said  to 
her,  "You  are  enjoying  yourself.  You  are  coveting  a  person  (to  eat)." 

Then  he  broke  off  the  hook.  The  grandfather  told  the  boy,  "You  will 
stay  here  always."  The  boy  and  Water  Monster  Woman  had  a  child.  He 
grew  large  and  fat.  Then  the  woman  thought,  "Even  if  they  are  fat 
they  are  no  more  than  just  enough  for  my  father  and  mother  to  eat." 
She  pretended  she  was  angry.  She  lay  there  and  would  not  talk.  The  boy 
said  to  his  grandfather,  "She's  angry.  I  wonder  why  she  won't  talk."  He 
answered,  "She  has  gathered  enough  people  to  eat,  that's  why." 

He  said  to  the  woman,  "Well,  we'll  all  go  with  you  to  your  family." 
She  was  pleased.  She  got  up  and  cooked.  When  they  had  finished  eating 
they  started.  The  woman  took  the  child.  Fox's  daughter  grabbed  him 
away  from  his  mother.  The  canoe  was  launched.  In  front  sat  the  water 
monster  child,  next  was  Fox's  daughter,  then  the  boy  and  Fox. 

Just  as  they  were  starting  into  the  Water  Monster  Boy  looked  back 
at  the  others.  Fox  was  told,  "He  is  looking  back"  (this  sounds  mean). 
"Hurry !"  he  said.  They  dived,  the  canoe  with  all  its  occupants,  just  as 
they  were.  Four  times  it  dived.  Then  they  came  safely  to  a  house.  My ! 
they  were  surprised  and  frightened.  Everything  was  ice  from  the  river 


The  Myths  and  Tales  179 

to  the  house.  It  was  very  slippery.  Water  Monster  Boy  ran  up  the  beach 
and  into  the  house.  The  others  were  wondering  how  to  get  up  when 
Fox's  daughter  sprinkled  the  ice  with  red  paint.  Then  they  could  walk. 
They  went  into  the  house. 

"Give  me  the  child,"  said  one  of  the  women.  "No,  let  me  take  it," 
said  its  grandmother.  The  mother  said,  "No,  no !" 

The  monster's  father  said  they  would  eat.  Pitch  was  lighted  and  put 
on  the  fire  but,  since  the  wood  was  from  trees  belonging  to  the  poplar 
family  it  was  wet,  so  it  was  dark.  For  a  while  the  father  waited.  Then 
he  thought,  "They're  dead.  Our  guests  are  full." 

He  opened  the  door,  went  out  and  brought  light  in.  The  Foxes  were 
sitting  there  eating.  In  the  afternoon  about  sunset  the  father  proposed 
to  go  fishing  with  torches.  Fox's  daughter  was  sent  for  pitch.  She 
brought  in  four  bundles.  Fox  went  out  and  hired  four  bushes,  one 
whose  branches  were  tangled,  one  with  braided  branches,  the  service- 
berry  and  the  thornberry,  to  act  as  his  harpoonbearers  (sic!). 

Fox  and  the  boy  went  in  the  canoe.  Fox's  daughter  stayed  home  with 
the  little  one.  They  speared  fish.  All  were  abnormal;  they  were  only 
halves  or  quarters.  Suddenly  in  the  midst  of  them  was  Water  Monster 
Woman,  the  daughter  of  Water  Monster.  She  said  to  them,  "Don't  spear 
me,  I  might  drag  you  down."  "We're  not  looking  for  such  as  you." 

They  cursed  her,  then  speared  her.  They  were  all  engulfed  in  a  whirl- 
pool. Fox's  daughter  called  out,  "You  smart  talker,  you  Fox!"  The 
serviceberry  bush  broke,  the  braided  one  held  them  up,  when  it  gave  out 
the  thornberry  bush  helped,  just  the  torch  and  the  harpoon  were  in 
sight.  It  broke  and  Fox  thought,  "We're  done  f or !  If  we  are  not  saved 
we  die."  The  tangled  bush  came  to  the  rescue. 

A  monster  came  to  the  top  of  the  water.  Monster  Woman  was  crying, 
she  was  ordered  to  stop.  "Soon  they  will  bring  him  back,  then  we  will 
kill  them  all.  Keep  still  and  do  not  look  at  them." 

They  cut  off  the  hands  and  feet  and  took  them  ashore  in  the  canoe. 
When  they  got  to  the  shore  Fox's  daughter  was  sitting  in  the  canoe.  Fox 
said  to  the  boy,  "Go,  throw  their  hands  and  feet  in."  He  threw  them  in. 
Then  he  ordered  the  people,  "Take  them,  eat  your  dirty  filth,  you  horrid 
things." 

The  old  Monster  became  angry.  The  others  became  tired  following 
them.  Only  the  daughter  followed.  Then  they  came  to  the  shore.  They 
turned  the  canoe  over.  They  looked  around.  Soon  Water  Monster's 
daughter  came  to  the  surface.  Fox  said,  "Go  back  home  or  we  might 
kill  you  too." 

That's  the  end  of  the  trail. 


180  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

A  number  of  close  parallels  may  be  found  for  the  isolated  elements 
of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  myth  and,  in  a  Kutenai  and  a  Nez  Perce  story  at 
least,  the  combination  of  these  elements  resembles  the  Coeur  d'Alene 
whole  in  the  visit  to  the  under-water  country : 

Fox  and  Coyote  win  Salmon's  sister  in  gambling  with  Salmon;  the  Salmon 
Woman  becomes  Coyote's  son's  wife;  Fox  accompanies  Coyote,  Coyote's  son,  Sal- 
mon Woman  and  their  child  on  a  visit  to  the  salmon  country ;  the  woman  tries  twice 
to  drown  them  but  they  are  saved  in  a  bladder  belonging  to  Fox;  Fox  throws  to- 
bacco on  the  shore  so  they  can  ascend ;  the  salmon  people  try  to  kill  the  guests  by 
manuring  and  smoking  them ;  Coyote  dodges  two  people  striking  at  him  with  ham- 
mers ;  Fox  kills  Salmon ;  when  Fox  throws  Salmon's  head  overboard  to  the  pur- 
suers, his  party  escapes  {Kutenai  BBAE  59:153). 

Young  Coyote  defeats  Sea  Monster  Boy  at  hoop  spearing  and  wins  his  sister  for 
a  wife ;  Fox  accompanies  Young  Coyote,  Sea  Monster  Woman,  their  baby  and  Old 
Coyote  downstream ;  Sea  Monster  Woman  tries  to  drown  her  companions  but  they 
are  saved  in  a  pipe  belonging  to  Fox;  Young  Coyote  spears  Sea  Monster  and  his 
brother-in-law ;  he  throws  his  spear  at  Sea  Monster  Woman ;  a  flood  pursues  the 
party,  until  they  throw  Sea  Monster  Woman's  baby  into  the  water  to  her  (Nes 
Perce  CUCA  25:48). 

In  an  episode  of  the  Bella  Coola  Raven  cycle  Raven  fishes  up  a  large  fish  which 
turns  into  a  woman;  Raven  marries  her  with  the  promise  not  to  look  at  another 
woman ;  he  catches  much  salmon ;  he  looks  after  a  pretty  girl ;  his  wife  leaves  with 
all  the  salmon  (IS  246). 

A  sea  story  of  the  Bella  Bella  tells  of  difficulties  encountered  under 
the  water,  comparable  to  those  in  the  Coeur  d'Alene  myth : 

Four  men  in  a  boat  anchor  on  the  roof  of  Komokoa's  house;  Komokoa  fetches 
them  down ;  they  are  warned  by  Mouse  Woman  not  to  eat  the  food  served  them ; 
they  paint  their  boat  with  a  magic  potion  so  that  the  sea-monster  will  not  swallow 
it;  all  the  fish  enter  the  house  filling  it  up  with  water  which  the  snapping-door 
monster  sucks  in ;  the  four  men  throw  poison  in  the  water  and  escape ;  they  are 
carried  up  to  the  water's  surface  by  three  whales  (IS  238). 

The  eye-gouging  episode  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  myth  is  widely  dis- 
tributed in  diverse  myths  of  other  tribes,  numbering  the  Tlingit,  Tsim- 
shian,  Kwakiutl,  Haida  and  Coast  Salish — Upper  Chehalis,  Shokomish 
and  Cowlitz: 

A  man  sees  a  woman  floating  with  two  children  on  the  lake;  he  takes  one  child 
home  with  him ;  the  child  picks  out  people's  eyes ;  a  woman  kills  the  boy  and  be- 
comes the  creature,  the  sight  of  whom  makes  people  wealthy  [the  child  disappears 
at  daylight;  only  one  sick  woman  and  her  child  survive]  (Tlingit  BBAE  39:292, 
174;  ARBAE  31:948). 


The  Myths  and  Tales  181 

The  son  of  a  prince  and  a  woman  of  the  lake  pluck  out  people's  eyes ;  the  prince 
returns  the  child  to  the  lake  woman  and  receives  from  her  gambling-sticks  which 
bring  him  much  wealth ;  the  lake  woman  gives  the  princess  a  garment  of  wealth,  the 
sight  of  which  makes  people  wealthy;  the  lake  woman  becomes  part-fish,  part- 
woman  (Tsimshian  ARBAE  31:156). 

A  woman  marries  a  water  spirit;  the  child  from  this  union  kills  people  and 
plucks  out  and  roasts  their  eyes ;  the  boy's  uncle  kills  him ;  his  ashes  turn  into 
mosquitoes  and  small  flies  (Kwakiutl  IS  164). 

Half  Rock  Being  (a  man  in  the  corner  of  the  house)  sees  Raven  in  the  skin  of 
a  child  of  the  heavenly  chief's  daughter  knead  and  eat  something;  the  following 
morning  the  inhabitants  of  four  towns  have  each  lost  an  eye;  Raven,  the  eye- 
gouger,  is  put  into  his  cradle  and  dropped  into  the  water  [Raven  is  thrown  down 
to  earth]   (Haida  BBAE  29:111,  143;  ARBAE  31:948). 

In  an  Upper  Chehalis  myth  the  daughter  of  the  girl  whom  the  One-Legged  Man 
carried  off  pulls  out  a  child's  eye  at  each  of  four  places  and  is  sent  downstream  in 
a  bucket  in  each  case;  the  fifth  time  a  giant  takes  her  for  his  wife  (MAFLS 
27:121).  In  a  Skokotnish  version  the  daughter  of  the  girl  taken  home  by  the  Sharp- 
tailed  Man  scratches  people's  eyes  out  and  is  paddled  out  to  sea  by  the  Crows  in 
their  canoe;  the  girl,  deserted  on  an  island,  helps  the  slave,  Coon,  dig  roots  and 
marries  Coon's  master  (MAFLS  27:371).  In  a  Cowlitz  myth  Samlic's  wife  is  car- 
ried away  by  a  dangerous  being,  a  cloud ;  she  has  a  daughter  by  him  who  five  times 
tears  out  a  child's  eye  and  eats  it;  the  fifth  time  the  girl  rises  as  a  small  cloud 
(MAFLS  27:196). 

In  each  of  these  versions,  with  the  exception  of  the  incident  taken 
from  the  Haida  Raven  cycle,  the  eye-gouging  child  is  the  offspring  of  an 
unusual,  mythical  parent,  in  the  majority  of  cases  one  associated  with 
the  water. 


28.  Little  Mosquito 

The  youngest  of  five  mosquitoes  receives  warning  of  enemy's  presence  and  hides  in 

sweathouse 
Little  Mosquito's  four  brothers  are  burned  to  death  by  Geese 
Little  Mosquito  deserted 

Little  Mosquito  refuses  blood  mixed  with  camas 
Geese  feed  Little  Mosquito  blood 
Little  Mosquito  flies  against  pine  needles  and  bursts 
Mosquitoes  are  no  longer  to  be  man-eaters 

There  lived  long  ago  a  family  of  four  mosquitoes.1  The  oldest  ones 
always  went  hunting  but  the  youngest  stayed  home.  They  never  ate  any 

1  This  happened  at  Coeur  d'Alene  where  the  trail  is  dense  with  undergrowth  and 
full  of  mosquitoes. 


182  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

meat  but  only  blood  which  was  kept  in  the  paunch  of  a  deer.  The  oldest 
brothers  were  tired  one  time  and  sent  the  youngest  for  the  paunch  of 
blood  which  they  had  hung  on  a  tree.  As  he  ran  along  he  heard  someone 
say,  "Kill  the  little  mosquito  because  he  likes  blood."  He  ran  fast  and 
got  the  paunch  of  blood.  As  he  returned  with  it  on  his  back  he  heard 
someone  say,  "Do  not  kill  him  right  now."  Whereupon  he  ran  all  the 
faster.  On  the  other  side  of  the  road  he  heard,  "Don't  frighten  him  now, 
you  will  scare  his  brothers."  When  he  came  back  all  out  of  breath  it 
was  dark.  His  grandmother  asked  him  what  was  the  matter.  He  said,  "I 
saw  something."  The  brothers  said,  "What  did  you  see?"  He  said, 
"Someone  said,  'Kill  the  youngest  mosquito.'  "  They  said,  "You  are 
lying.  You  are  hearing  your  own  breath,  that  is  what  you  are  scared 
about.  Eat  blood  so  you  will  grow  fast,"  but  he  did  not  eat. 

After  eating  the  brothers  slept.  Little  Mosquito  went  out  of  the  house 
into  the  sweathouse.  When  it  was  very  late  he  heard  sounds  as  of 
burning  and  saw  that  the  house  was  in  flames.  He  was  sad.  He  heard 
the  bodies  of  his  four  brothers  and  his  grandmother  burst  one  after 
another. 

After  a  while  the  geese  who  burned  the  house  began  to  talk  to  one 
another.  "I  told  you  not  to  tell  him  you  would  kill  him,"  said  one,  "let's 
look  in  the  sweathouse  for  him.  Where  else  could  he  be  hiding?  Break 
off  a  branch  of  the  thornbush  and  swing  it  around  in  the  sweathouse." 

Little  Mosquito  took  some  red  paint  and  mixed  it  with  spittle  in  his 
little  spoon.  Every  time  the  thorn  branch  passed  him  he  smeared  it  with 
the  paint.  When  the  enemy  took  it  out  they  said,  "It  is  stained  with  blood. 
Now  we  have  killed  them  all."  So  they  left. 

When  it  became  light  Little  Mosquito  went  to  the  house.  He  saw 
the  bones  of  his  brothers  and  cried.  He  was  all  alone.  He  had  nothing 
to  eat,  no  home,  no  blanket.  One  whole  day  he  did  nothing  but  weep. 
Finally  he  stopped  and  went  to  the  lake  and  washed  his  face.  He  thought, 
"If  I  stay  I'll  die  because  everything  is  gone.  At  night  I  will  surely 
die  of  cold.  If  I  row  away  it  will  be  the  same.  If  I  go  I'll  die,  if  I  stay 
I'll  die." 

He  reached  into  the  water  and  drew  out  a  monster.  He  cut  open  the 
throat  and  made  a  boat1  of  it.  He  got  in  and  paddled,  crying  all  the 
time.  The  enemy  heard  him  suddenly  stop  crying.  One  said  to  the 
others,  "My!  you  didn't  kill  him."  One  of  them  said,  "Here  is  some 
blood.  He  likes  that."  They  said  to  him,  "Here  is  blood  mixed  with 
cooked  camas,  come  and  have  some  to  eat."  He  said,  "I  never  ate  it." 

One  of  the  geese  said,  "He  doesn't  like  the  mixture,  give  him  pure 
blood.  That  is  what  he  eats."  They  called  to  him,  "It  isn't  mixed."  He 

1  There  is  a  part  of  a  fish  monster's  throat  or  head  which  looks  like  a  canoe. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  183 

rowed  toward  them.  They  said,  "Here  are  four  buckets  full  of  blood." 
Then  he  rowed  to  shore  and  tied  up  his  boat. 

They  set  the  four  pails  full  of  blood  before  him  and  he  ate  every  bit. 
Then  the  enemy  told  him,  "The  children  pushed  your  canoe  away."  Then 
they  stuffed  the  crevices  of  the  house  with  pine  needles.  He  said,  "Tell 
the  children  to  bring  my  canoe  back  to  shore."  They  said,  "No,  go  get 
it  yourself." 

After  Little  Mosquito  had  eaten  he  stood  up.  A  goose  was  standing 
in  the  doorway.  He  said,  "Move  away,"  but  the  person  remained  stand- 
ing. He  flew  up  to  the  hole  to  get  out,  but  he  ran  into  the  pine  needles 
and  burst.  The  blood  flew  all  over  and  a  whole  lot  of  mosquitoes  flew 
out.  The  enemy  said  to  him,  "Go,  don't  be  man-eaters  any  more.  You 
can  annoy  people.  When  they  slap  you  you  will  die.  But  don't  kill  people." 

Parallel  myths  are  included  in  the  mythology  of  the  Kutenai,  Nez 
Perce  and  the  Cowlitz. 

Mosquito's  three  elder  brothers  send  him  to  fetch  water ;  he  hears  enemies  about 
and  warns  his  brothers;  he  hides  in  the  sweathouse;  his  brothers  are  killed  by  the 
enemy;  Mosquito  is  deserted;  he  makes  a  canoe  and  starts  downriver;  he  refuses 
bitterroot,  suscatoon  and  chokecherries,  at  three  enemy  camps  along  the  way;  at  a 
fourth  camp  he  is  fed  blood;  his  belly  swells  up;  he  jumps  into  the  pine  branches 
separating  his  boat  from  the  shore  and  the  pine  needles  cause  his  stomach  to  burst ; 
he  shall  no  longer  be  a  man-eater  but  a  harmless  mosquito  {Kutenai  Dyer). 

Mosquito  goes  along;  he  refuses  to  eat  chokecherries  and  serviceberries  at  the 
two  towns  he  passes ;  he  comes  to  a  third  town  and  eats  much  blood  there ;  sticks 
pierce  his  belly  and  he;  dies ;  mosquitoes  fly  out  of  him  {Kutenai  BBAE  59 :25) . 

Mosquito  bites  his  grandmother  to  death  and  sucks  up  her  blood ;  he  refuses  root 
food ;  Coyote  feeds  him  five  pails  full  of  blood ;  he  stumbles  on  grass  burned  to 
stubble  and  bursts  open;  mosquitoes  no  longer  bite  to  kill  {Nes  Perce  CUCA 
25:13). 

Mosquito,  a  dangerous  being,  refuses  duck,  wild  goose,  rabbit  and  deer-broth 
stew ;  five  men  feed  him  a  potful  of  their  blood,  then  poke  him  in  the  stomach ;  he 
bursts;  a  mosquito  just  sucks  people  ever  since  {Cowlitz  MAFLS  27:213). 

The  transformation  of  the  ashes  of  slain  man-eaters  into  mosquitoes 
is  a  common  device;  one  of  numerous  typical  examples  may  be  cited 
from  Kwakiutl  mythology  where  the  son  of  a  water  spirit  slays  all  the 
people  he  meets ;  his  uncle  finally  kills  him,  burns  his  corpse  and  blows 
upon  the  ashes,  transforming  them  into  mosquitoes  (IS  164). 


184  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

29.  Grizzly  and  His  Brother s-in-Law 

Grizzly  Bear  has  three  brothers-in-law ;  the  two  elder  hate  him,  the  youngest  likes 

him 
Grizzly's  elder  brothers-in-law  plan  to  kill  him 
Grizzly's  youngest  brother-in-law  warns  him  and  saves  him 
All  are  transformed  into  the  Great  Bear  constellation 

Grizzly  Bear  lived  with  his  wife  and  three  brothers-in-law.  The 
youngest  of  the  brothers-in-law  liked  Grizzly,  the  others  hated  him. 
They  thought  it  was  mean  the  way  he  bit  people  and  became  angry  so 
easily.  So  the  two  brothers-in-law  said,  "Let's  kill  him.  What's  he  after 
anyway?  Probably  something  to  eat." 

They  tracked  him.  Then  they  saw  him  standing.  They  took  up  their 
places,  first  the  oldest,  then  the  second  and  the  youngest,  last.  The  eldest 
gave  orders,  "All  get  ready  so  if  one  shoots  all  will  shoot  together." 

They  went  on,  the  two  oldest  close  together  ahead,  but  the  youngest 
lagged  behind  at  a  distance  because  he  liked  Grizzly.  When  they  came 
close  the  first  two  got  ready  to  shoot  at  him.  The  youngest  watched  and 
just  as  the  string  was  about  to  twang  he  said,  "My  brother-in-law !  You 
are  going  to  be  shot." 

Grizzly  turned  around  and  just  as  he  was  warned  he  made  the  noise 
of  transformation. 

They  all  went  to  the  sky  as  stars  and  now  we  see  them  up  there. 

(The  four  stars  which  form  the  cup  of  the  Great  Dipper  are  Grizzly's 
feet.  The  northern  one  moved  and  made  the  track  formed  by  it  and  the 
star  immediately  above  it.  The  three  stars  of  the  handle  are  the  brothers- 
in-law,  the  one  nearest  the  cup  is  the  one  who  liked  Grizzly  best.) 

Transformation  into  stars  may  be  found  also  in  the  mythology  of  the 
Thompson.  In  a  footnote  to  the  Thompson  myth  Teit  makes  the  state- 
ment :  All  the  Shuswap  and  Thompson  tell  stories  of  the  transformation 
of  hunters  or  men  and  a  bear  into  the  constellation  the  Great  Bear 
(MAFLS  11:16). 

The  Coeur  d'Alene  Grizzly  Bear-Brother-in-law  introduction  to  the 
transformation  has  no  parallel  in  the  Thompson  myth,  which  is  rather 
the  typical  concluding  episode  of  a  Transformer  cycle — the  Trans- 
formers, having  completed  their  work,  are  transformed  into  something 
permanent  (usually  in  the  Northwest  into  a  rock;  cp.  tale  8)  : 

Qwa'qtqwetl  and  his  three  brothers  (three  Black  Bear  hunters)  finish  their  trans- 
forming tasks  and,  accompanied  by  their  dog,  hunt  a  bear  in  the  sky  (the  eldest 
brother  hangs  back  afraid)  ;  the  entire  group  is  transformed  by  the  youngest  brother 
into  the  Grizzly  Bear  constellation  (MAM  12:224;  ARBAE  31:615). 


The  Myths  and  Tales  185 

In  Chilcotin  mythology  three  brothers  try  to  trick  their  grandmother ;  she  trans- 
forms them  into  stars ;  their  dogs  and  the  moose  they  were  tracking  may  be  seen 
with  them  in  the  sky  (MAM  4:31). 

30.  Muskrat  Trespasses 

Muskrat  disobeys  his  grandmother  by  going  in  a  forbidden  direction 

Otter  clubs  Muskrat 

Muskrat's  grandmother  treats  him 

Muskrat  kills  Otter's  sister,  Mink 

Otter  comes  for  revenge 

Muskrat  feigns  sickness  and  Otter  leaves  believing  him  to  be  bedridden 

Muskrat's  grandmother  sings  song  of  triumph 

Otter  pursues  Muskrat  and  his  grandmother 

Muskrat  and  his  grandmother  escape 

Muskrat  and  his  grandmother  lived  together.  One  day  the  grandmother 
saw  Muskrat  was  trespassing  when  he  went  for  food.  The  next  morning 
she  said  to  him,  "When  you  eat  grass  go  this  way  (pointing).  Don't  go 
over  the  way  you  have  been  eating."  Every  morning  she  warned  him 
this  way.  One  day  he  thought,  "I  wonder  why  she  always  keeps  at  me 
this  way.  I  wonder  what  is  over  the  other  way." 

He  went  the  forbidden  way  and  found  much  grass.  "The  grass  is 
so  good  here,  I  guess  that  is  why  she  forbade  me  going  this  way."  Soon 
he  met  an  Otter.  "I  drive  people  out  of  here."  "It  isn't  your  land."  "It 
isn't  yours  either."  They  argued  and  Otter  clubbed  Muskrat  until  his 
head  was  all  flat.  Then  he  threw  him  into  a  canoe. 

When  Muskrat's  grandmother  came  back  he  was  gone.  She  thought, 
"He  must  have  been  trespassing  again."  Then  she  heard  him  coming, 
ana'  ana'  ana'.  She  saw  a  canoe  coming.  He  was  lying  down  in  it  and 
paddling.  He  came  in.  His  head  was  so  swollen  that  his  eyes  and  ears 
could  hardly  be  seen.  His  cheeks  were  all  puffed  up.  His  grandmother 
said,  "I  told  you  not  to  go  that  way.  It's  your  own  fault  you  got  beaten 
up  so  badly." 

He  lay  down  and  she  sprinkled  his  head.  A  few  days  later  he  was  well 
and  said  to  his  grandmother,  "Get  my  canoe  ready.  I  am  going  to  kill 
Otter."  "No,  you  might  get  killed.  Then  I  would  be  all  alone." 

She  coaxed  him  in  vain.  He  got  into  his  canoe  and  paddled  to  Otter's 
house.  There  were  four  of  them.  He  saw  their  sister  who  was  Mink 
making  a  hole  near  the  water  to  make  herself  a  bathing  place.  When  she 
had  the  hole  made  just  big  enough  to  sit  in  she  put  hot  stones  in  the 
water.  She  had  leaned  her  baby  in  its  babyboard  up  against  a  tree.  Musk- 
rat  sneaked  up  and  shot  Otter's  sister  just  as  she  was  going  to  get  into 
her  bath.  She  fell  headfirst  into  the  water  and  died.  Then  Muskrat  rowed 


186  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

home  as  fast  as  he  could  go.  His  grandmother  was  waiting  for  him.  As 
soon  as  he  came  in  sight  she  exclaimed,  "Oh !  Thanks  be !  He  is  alive." 

"I  killed  Otter's  sister,"  he  told  her.  "There's  no  hope  for  us  now," 
said  the  grandmother.  Then  Muskrat  said,  "Make  a  hole  through  the 
bushes  like  a  tunnel  beginning  where  you  are  sitting.  Then  go  through 
there  and  you  will  see  a  lake."  The  old  woman  did  so.  Then  she  came 
back.  "Tie  up  my  head  and  keep  sprinkling  it  for  me,"  he  ordered  next. 

The  Otter  brothers  kept  looking  for  their  sister  to  return  with  her 
child.  They  heard  the  baby  cry.  Then  said  one,  "Why  doesn't  she  look 
after  her  child  ?  Go  tell  her  to  take  it  up."  One  went  to  see  what  was  the 
matter.  He  found  her  dead.  He  reported  to  his  brothers,  "She's  dead, 
shot  with  an  arrow."  They  went  and  looked.  "Muskrat  must  have  done 
that,"  they  said.  The  youngest  said,  "I  am  going  to  kill  him." 

He  came  to  Muskrat's  house.  The  grandmother  was  watching.  "Here 
they  come.  Let's  get  ready."  When  the  Otter  arrived  the  grandmother 
was  sitting  there  quietly  sprinkling  Muskrat's  head.  He  was  lying  near 
with  his  head  all  tied  up.  Otter  came  in  with  a  stick.  "You  must  be  the 
one  who  killed  our  sister."  "Why  how  could  that  be?"  said  the  grand- 
mother. "He  is  pathetic.  He  always  lies  there  just  like  that."  "Who 
could  it  have  been  then  ?"  "Oh,  sprinkle  my  head,  grandmother,"  moaned 
Muskrat.  Otter  thought,  "It  must  be  true.  He  never  gets  up."  He  left. 
Then  Muskrat  said,  "Keep  watching  him  until  just  as  he  rounds  the 
curve,  then  dance  and  sing." 

The  grandmother  watched.  Just  as  Otter  got  out  of  sight  she  began 
to  sing  and  dance,  "Uhu  ■  uhu  ■  -  ,  Otters'  only  sister  was  killed  by  a 
little  arrow.  She  fell  headfirst  into  the  water."  Otter  kept  on  thinking, 
"Who  could  have  killed  our  sister?" 

He  rowed  back  again.  He  heard  the  song  more  clearly.  He  saw  the 
grandmother  run  into  the  house.  She  ran  into  the  hole  she  had  made  and 
covered  it  over.  He  could  not  find  her.  He  looked  around  outside.  Then 
he  went  in,  lifted  the  cover  and  saw  the  hole.  He  reached  down  into  it, 
but  the  muskrats  had  filled  it  with  dirt  as  they  went  through.  Otter  fol- 
lowed as  far  as  the  timber  but  he  had  to  give  up  as  the  hole  became  too 
small  for  him. 

The  end  of  the  road. 

In  Shuswap  and  Coast  Salish  mythology  are  found  examples  of  myths 
which  are  on  the  whole  comparable,  though  they  vary  in  specific  details : 

In  the  Shuswap  myth  Muskrat  kills  a  girl  who  refuses  to  marry  him ;  Muskrat 
sings  a  song  revealing  himself  as  the  killer ;  the  people  pursue  Muskrat  who  escapes 
through  a  hole  in  the  ice  (MAM  4:680). 


The  Myths  and  Tales  187 

In  the  Coast  Salish  story  it  is  Wren  who  kills  Otter.  The  motivation  lies  not  in 
a  trespassing  incident  but  in  Otter's  theft  of  Wren's  fish.  When  the  people  discover 
Wren  to  be  the  killer,  he  is  invited  to  a  gathering.  In  the  Upper  Chehalis  version 
Wren  escapes,  Bluejay  catching  Snail  by  mistake  (MAFLS  27:31).  In  the  Hump- 
tulip  account  Wren  is  kicked  into  the  fire;  his  grandmother  blows  on  his  cinders 
and  he  becomes  a  wren;  she  turns  into  a  spider  (MAFLS  27:326). 


31.  Toad  Saves  Children 

Lazy  daughter  of  chief,  her  baby  brother  and  all  the  village  children  are  deserted 

The  children  stay  in  the  house  of  a  child-eater 

Toad  keeps  girl  from  rising 

Toad  takes  girl's  place  in  monster's  oven 

Girl  runs  away 

There  was  a  chief  of  a  village  who  had  a  grown  daughter  and  a  son 
who  was  merely  a  baby.  Every  morning  the  girl  carried  the  little  boy 
away  from  the  settlement  and  took  all  the  other  little  children  with  her. 
All  day  she  played  with  them  and  brought  them  back  at  night.  For  some 
time  she  did  this.  One  morning  when  the  chief  saw  her  persist  in  leaving 
home  with  the  little  ones  instead  of  learning  to  work  like  the  women,  he 
felt  sad.  So  he  decided  to  punish  her. 

After  she  had  gone  he  called  his  people  together  for  a  council  and 
said,  "We  will  leave  the  children."  They  pulled  out  all  their  tipi  poles 
and  all  the  people  went  into  the  holes.1  At  night  the  children  came  back. 
Everything  was  gone.  There  were  no  people.  No  fire.  They  cried.  The 
girl  told  them  all  to  come  into  one  house  to  sleep.  The  next  day  she  said, 
"We'll  go  look  for  our  parents."  All  day  they  travelled.  At  night  they 
saw  a  camp.  The  girl  said,  "Let's  camp  there." 

Someone  came  out  and  saw  them.  They  were  glad.  "We  want  to  camp 
here,"  said  the  girl.  "All  right !" 

The  children  went  in.  The  owner  of  the  house  was  glad  to  see  them. 
They  sat  around  but  were  given  nothing  to  eat.  The  owner  of  the  house 
had  some  children  already  lying  there  asleep.  All  went  to  sleep  except 
the  chief's  daughter.  "Go  to  sleep,"  he  said.  "No,"  she  answered.  "Put 
down  your  little  brother."  "No,  he  might  cry." 

The  owner  lay  down.  After  dark  the  chief's  daughter  heard  someone 
get  up.  Xuts  xuts  xuts,  she  heard  a  bone  breaking.  She  kicked  the  fire  to 
make  it  lighter  and  heard  him  go  out.  This  kept  up  all  night.  She  thought, 
"He  devours  a  lot  of  people." 

In  the  morning  he  said,  "Come,  let's  bake  them."  He  made  a  pit  in 
the  ground  for  baking.  He  said  to  the  girl,  "Go  get  the  leaves  for  the 

xThey  were  some  kind  of  animal. 


188  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

baking.  Give  me  your  brother,  I  will  hold  him."  "No,  he  might  cry." 
She  went.  She  cried,  "I  will  be  killed  and  my  brother  too." 

She  pulled  out  a  lot  of  leaves  and  grass  and  made  a  big  stack  which 
she  then  tied.  She  had  to  put  her  brother  down  in  order  to  get  the  pack 
on  her  back.  When  she  tried  she  could  not  get  up.  When  she  did  get  up 
she  saw  there  was  a  Toad  in  the  grass.  She  laughed,  "Ha  ha,  you  are 
going  to  die.  Your  brother  will  have  to  die  too.  Every  time  you  see  an 
animal,  step  on  his  back,  don't  step  on  the  ground.  I  am  Toad.  I  am 
ugly,  you  are  young  and  beautiful.  I  will  die  in  your  stead." 

She  loaded  the  grass,  her  brother  and  Toad  on  her  back  and  returned 
to  where  the  fire  was  being  made.  The  children  were  lying  there.  She 
put  down  the  grass,  but  kept  her  brother  on  her  back.  The  monster  fixed 
up  the  pit,  put  the  children  in  and  arranged  grass  over  them.  Then  he 
put  soil  on  top  and  baked  them.  In  about  an  hour  he  thought  they  ought 
to  be  cooked.  He  took  the  oven  apart  and  came  to  the  children.  They 
had  not  begun  to  cook.  He  piled  them  on  one  side  and  came  to  Toad. 
She  was  still  alive.  "It's  your  fault.  You  are  the  one  who  caused  the  fire 
not  to  bake."1 

The  girl  ran  away.  She  stepped  on  the  backs  of  the  animals  she  met 
and  never  on  the  ground.  Finally  she  came  to  a  mountain  where  she 
stepped  on  the  ground.  From  there  she  stepped  on  another  mountain. 
She  went  far  this  way. 

The  end  of  my  road. 

In  the  mythology  studied  no  parallels  were  found  for  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  Toad  Saviour  episode.  There  are  typical  examples  of  the  deser- 
tion of  a  girl  and  her  young  brother  and  their  capture  by  a  child-eater 
in  Sahaptin  and  Nez  Perce  mythology. 

A  mother  and  father  desert  their  daughter  and  small  son  who  have  refused  to 
fetch  water;  the  children  are  captured  by  Screech  Owl  (Owl  Monster)  and  put  in 
her  basket;  Screech  Owl  hangs  up  her  basket  and  rushes  home  when  the  children 
shout  that  her  family  is  burning ;  the  children  cross  the  river  on  their  grandfather's 
leg;  their  grandfather  has  Crawfish,  Mussel  and  Butterfly  (and  Bullhead  and 
Swallow)  drown  Screech  Owl  who  comes  in  pursuit  (MAFLS  11 :176,  192). 

The  element  of  the  captive  placed  over  the  fire  to  cook  who  urinates 
and  extinguishes  the  blaze  may  also  be  found  in  otherwise  dissimilar 
myths  as,  for  example,  among  the  Thompson  and  the  Shuswap : 

The  man-eaters  place  their  victims  (the  wives  of  Eagle  and  Owl  and  their  two 
children,  a  boy  and  a  frog ;  Coyote's  two  daughters  and  their  son ;  a  mother  and 

xToad  spoiled  the  fire  by  making  everything  wet  (cp.  tale  1). 


The  Myths  and  Tales  189 

her  boy)  in  a  kettle  over  the  fire  to  cook  overnight;  the  child  (the  frog)  urinates 
through  a  hole  in  the  kettle  and  saves  them  from  boiling;  they  escape  (MAM 
12:253;  MAFLS  6:35;  MAM  4:636). 

32.  Chipmunk  and  Snake  {Contest  for  Winter  and  Spring) 

Chipmunk  pokes  fire  to  bring  spring 

Snake  pokes  fire  to  delay  it 

Chipmunk  goes  out  and  nibbles  grass 

Snake  smells  fresh  grass  and  sees  spring  has  come 

Chipmunk  and  Snake  lived  together.  Their  fire  was  one  long  burning 
log.  Each  of  them  had  a  stick  with  which  to  poke  the  fire.  Chipmunk 
poked  the  fire,  u  ya  ha  ya  ha.1  Snake  poked  it.  "Winter"  was  the  noise 
he  made.  When  the  log  was  burned  through  the  middle  it  would  be 
spring.  Chipmunk  was  hurrying  it  to  make  spring  come  quicker,  Snake 
was  trying  to  delay  it  because  he  wanted  winter.  The  only  time  they 
ceased  arguing  was  when  they  slept.  At  dawn  as  soon  as  they  woke  they 
took  up  the  stick.  Suddenly  the  Chipmunk  said,  "I'll  go  outside  and  see." 

She  went  out  the  door.  Already  the  ground  was  clear  of  snow.  Small 
blades  of  grass  showed  through.  She  nibbled  it.  She  went  in  again  and 
took  up  her  stick  to  poke  the  fire.  Snake  asked,  "Is  it  clear  yet?"  "No, 
there  it  still  snow  on  the  ground."  Then  Snake  repeated,  "Winter !"  Sud- 
denly she  said,  "You  smell  of  green  grass."  "No,  it's  the  mat  you  smell. 
I  just  turned  it  over." 

Outside  all  was  green,  "tsatapi'yap"  spoke  Snake.  "Ya  ha"  said  Chip- 
munk. Patsatsa,  Chipmunk  ran  out.  Snake  said,  "My !  She  does  smell 
of  green  grass." 

Then  he  went  out.  The  ground  was  clear.  The  sun  was  shining.  Snake 
ate  grass  and  curled  himself  up  on  the  ground. 

The  end  of  my  road. 

In  a  Thompson  myth  Grizzly  Bear  and  Chipmunk  dispute  about  light 
and  dark,  warmth  and  cold  in  general,  with  no  specific  reference  to  the 
seasons. 

A  log  is  burning  on  a  mountain  (perhaps  kindled  by  Coyote's  youngest  son  to 
give  the  people  fire)  ;  Grizzly  Bear  dislikes  warmth  and  light  and  throws  earth  on 
the  fire ;  Chipmunk  throws  sticks  on  the  fire ;  and  fire  burns  more  brightly ;  Grizzly 
pursues  Chipmunk  who  escapes  into  a  log  as  Grizzly  tears  the  skin  off  his  back 
leaving  stripes  (MAFLS  6:61). 

In  Coast  Salish  mythology  are  found  typical  versions  of  the  numerous 
xThis  is  said  for  the  word  which  means  "calm  weather." 


190  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

contests  for  day  and  night  in  which  Bear  figures  as  the  proponent  of 
long  periods  of  darkness.  Neither  Chipmunk  nor  Snake  appear : 

Ant  wins  a  race  with  Bear  and  obtains  thereby  short  successive  nights  and  days 
{Upper  Chehalis  MAFLS  27:132).  Bear,  who  desires  night  for  six  months  (a 
year),  competes  with  Ant  and  Yellowjacket ;  Bear  is  beaten;  as  a  result  Bear  now 
sleeps  three  months  at  a  time  {Upper  Chehalis  MAFLS  27:132;  Cowliis  MAFLS 
27:188).  Bear,  who  wants  to  sleep  five  years,  compromises  with  Frog  to  sleep  one 
year  (winter)  ;  Frog  is  also  to  sleep  one  year,  people  one  night  {Cowlitz  MAFLS 
27:189). 


33.  Elk  and  Snowshoes 

Snowshoes  and  Elk  live  together 

Elk  rebels  at  doing  all  the  work  and  leaves 

Snowshoes  pursues  Elk  and  kills  him 

Snowshoes  and  Elk  were  friends  who  lived  together.  Snowshoes  hung 
on  the  wall.  He  never  made  fire,  got  water  or  wood,  neither  did  he  cook. 
Elk  did  all  the  work.  One  day  he  got  tired.  He  thought,  "I  do  all  the 
work,  my  partner  never  does  anything.  I  am  going  to  leave." 

He  went  away.  The  snow  was  deep.  He  threw  away  his  ax  and  his 
rope.  The  fire  went  out  and  Snowshoes  got  cold.  He  tracked  Elk.  He 
found  his  ax  and  his  rope.  He  saw  where  Elk  had  started  to  run.  "I 
am  deserted.  I'll  kill  him  because  he  left  me." 

He  followed  Elk.  He  came  to  a  mountain.  About  halfway  up  he 
shouted.  He  thought  Elk  would  look  back,  but  he  went  right  on.  He  was 
always  a  long  way  ahead.  Finally  he  began  to  catch  up.  Elk  could  hear 
Snowshoes,  up' ax p' ax p' ax,  in  the  snow.  Elk  noticed  he  sank  in  deep. 
Snowshoes  was  catching  up. 

"You  are  going  to  die,"  he  cried  out.  "No,  don't  kill  me,  have  pity  on 
my  face,"  said  Elk.  "You  left  me."  So  saying,  Snowshoes  took  out  his 
arrow,  shot  him  and  he  died. 

The  end  of  the  road. 


No  parallels  to  the  brief  Coeur  d'Alene  story  were  found.  A  certain 
stylistic  resemblance  to  Snowshoe's  laziness  and  consequent  desertion 
may  be  noticed  in  a  Tlingit  story,  a  typical  episode  in  the  Raven  cycle. 
The  idling  in  this  case  is  well  in  accord  with  trickster  Raven's  character : 

Raven  goes  to  stay  with  Fishhawk ;  Fishhawk  rebels  at  doing  all  the  work  and 
food-gathering  for  Raven,  as  well  as  for  himself,  and  leaves  (BBAE  39:116). 


The  Myths  and  Tales  191 

34.  Contest  between  Cold  and  Heat 

Cold  and  Heat  who  cannot  get  along  together  have  a  contest 
Heat  overcomes  his  younger  brother,  Cold 

Cold  and  Heat  were  brothers.  They  had  their  house  across  the  river. 
Cold  was  the  younger.  When  he  went  out  there  would  be  frost  on  his 
eyebrows  and  ice  on  his  beard.  He  would  come  into  the  house  and  com- 
plain as  he  sat  in  a  corner  farthest  from  the  fire,  "Why  do  you  keep  it 
so  warm?  I'm  very  uncomfortable  because  of  your  big  fire." 

He  left  again  in  the  morning.  Then  Heat  went  out  and  looked  at  the 
sky.  It  was  dark  and  threatening.  He  looked  down  at  the  ground  and 
saw  a  snowbird  crawling  about  on  the  snow.  Cold  came  back  while  he 
was  out  and  said,  "My,  he  keeps  it  hot!  I  suppose  he'll  be  making  the 
world  all  warm  again,  my  brother  who  is  gone." 

Just  at  sunset  a  hot  wind  blew.  Cold  sat  in  his  corner  and  sweated. 
Then  Heat  blew  into  the  house.  "You  keep  it  much  too  warm,"  said  his 
younger  brother.  "I  do  not  wish  to  kill  everyone.  I  have  pity  on  the 
people  who  travel."  Cold  said,  "Here  I  am  all  wet  with  sweating." 

So  that  is  the  way  Heat  overcame  his  younger  brother,  Cold.  That  is 
all  I  know. 

This  sketchy  Coeur  d'Alene  version  has  probably  fallen  out  of  its 
setting  and  lost  some  of  its  descriptive  parts.  Analogous  Thompson,  Sa- 
haptin,  Sanpoil,  Okanagon  and  Upper  Chehalis  myths,  concerned  with 
the  overpowering  of  Cold,  are  adequately  motivated  and  recorded  more 
fully: 

Heat  Man  takes  his  wife,  Cold  Man's  daughter,  to  his  family  for  a  visit;  Cold 
Man  pursues  the  two;  Heat  Man's  father  draws  out  the  Chinook  Wind,  the  air 
becomes  warm,  Cold  is  beaten;  Heat  allows  Cold  to  visit  his  daughter  once  a  year 
for  a  short  time;  then  it  is  winter  (Thompson  MAFLS  11:61). 

Two  brothers  leave  the  house  of  Winter's  father  and  go  to  the  home  of  Summer 
and  his  five  daughters,  whom  they  prefer ;  Winter's  father,  accompanied  by  Winter, 
decides  to  wage  war  on  Summer ;  Summer  by  shaking  his  blanket  at  their  approach 
melts  all  the  ice  from  their  bodies ;  he  sends  them  home  with  meat  (Sahaptin 
MAFLS  11:148). 

The  necessity  of  overcoming  extreme  cold  which  is  killing  all  the 
people  motivates  the  Sanpoil  contest  between  Cold  and  Heat : 

South  Wind  is  chosen  by  the  people  in  the  Indian  country  to  overcome  Extreme 
Cold;  South  Wind  goes  to  Cold's  house,  makes  a  fire,  thaws  everything  and  the 
Cold  family  dies;  the  seasons  are  henceforth  regulated  (MAFLS  11:105). 


192  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

In  the  Okanagon  myth  Coyote  conquers  Cold : 

With  the  help  of  his  three  pieces  of  dung,  one  of  which  is  equivalent  to  the  heat 
of  the  sun,  Coyote  enters  the  Cold  people's  house,  burns  it  and  melts  the  ice;  Cold 
and  his  wife  die ;  Cold's  daughter  escapes ;  there  shall  be  cold  once  in  a  while 
(MAFLS  11:74). 

In  the  allied  myth  of  the  Upper  Chehalis  Northeast  Wind  represents 
the  Cold  and  Southwest  Wind  the  Heat : 

Southwest  Wind,  who  has  his  home  in  the  ocean,  makes  war  upon  Northeast 
Wind  in  the  sky ;  Southwest  Wind's  party  returns  home  without  fatalities.  In  a 
second  fight  Southwest  Wind  fails  to  overpower  the  seven  Northeast  Wind  brothers 
with  boiling  water ;  thereupon  his  grandmother  makes  a  water-sprinkler  for  him ; 
five  of  the  Northeast  Wind  brothers  are  killed.  Southwest  Wind  melts  snow  and 
frost  so  they  no  longer  freeze  people  to  death  (MAFLS  27:75). 

Detailed  instances  of  a  struggle  between  the  winds,  which  follow  an 
outline  similar  to  those  laid  out  above,  may  be  found  among  the  Tsim- 
shian,  Tlingit,  Haida,  Thompson,  Shuswap  and  Lillooet  (ARBAE  31 : 
732). 

35.  Rabbit  and  Jack  Rabbit 

Jack  Rabbit  worries  about  Rabbit,  his  relative  and  friend 

Rabbit  worries  about  Jack  Rabbit,  his  relative  and  friend 

Rabbit  takes  pitch  to  Jack  Rabbit 

Jack  Rabbit  takes  bitterroot,  camas  and  dried  salmon  roe  to  Rabbit 

They  meet  on  Tekoa  Mountain 

They  leave  their  unnecessary  gifts  there 

Rabbit  and  Jack  Rabbit  were  relative-friends  (cp.  p  ).  Rabbit  lived 
in  the  mountains  around  here  (near  De  Smet)  and  Jack  Rabbit  lived 
on  the  prairie  of  the  Big  Bend  country.  In  winter  when  it  cleared  after 
a  snow  Jack  Rabbit  would  look  toward  the  mountains.  The  trees  were 
so  heavy  with  snow  that  the  branches  interlocked.  Jack  Rabbit  worried, 
"I  think  Rabbit  must  be  dead.  I  wonder  what  he  eats." 

Rabbit  looked  toward  the  prairie.  He  thought,  "Poor  Jack  Rabbit!  I 
wonder  if  he  has  a  fire  in  this  cold  weather.  I'll  go  see."  He  made  as 
large  a  pack  as  he  could  carry  of  pitch  shavings  and  started  off  with  it 
toward  Jack  Rabbit's.  Then  Jack  Rabbit  thought,  "I  think  I'll  take  my 
relative-friend  some  bitterroot,  camas  and  dried  salmon  roe,"  and  he 
started  off  with  them. 

Rabbit  came  up  the  north  side  of  Tekoa  Mountain.  As  he  came  up  he 


The  Myths  and  Tales  193 

sat  down  at  the  edge  of  the  woods.  He  thought,  "I  wonder  where  Jack 
Rabbit  lives.  I  don't  know  exactly." 

Jack  Rabbit  came  over  the  prairie  and  up  the  south  side  of  the  moun- 
tain. As  he  went  over  the  top  he  saw  Rabbit  sitting  there,  "Why,  here 
he  is !"  He  stood  up.  Jack  Rabbit  looked  up  and  saw  him  standing  there. 
They  walked  toward  each  other  and  shook  hands. 

"You're  still  alive,  my  relative-friend!"  said  one.  "And  you're  still 
alive,  my  relative-friend,"  said  the  other,  "I  was  just  coming  to  look  for 
you."  "Why,"  said  Jack  Rabbit,  "I  was  coming  to  look  for  you  too.  I 
was  worried  about  you.  I  thought  you  might  be  hungry." 

"No,"  said  Rabbit,  "I  am  not  hungry.  I  find  a  tree  under  which  there 
is  green  grass  and  I  eat  that.  It's  you  I  worry  about.  I  thought  you  might 
get  cold  so  I  brought  these  pitch  shavings  for  you  to  start  a  fire."  "No, 
I'm  not  cold.  You  worry  for  no  reason.  When  it  snows  and  drifts  I 
find  a  dry  spot  under  the  sage  brush.  That's  where  I  stay." 

"Then  I'll  throw  away  the  pitch."  So  saying  Rabbit  untied  his  pack 
and  dumped  it  out.  Jack  Rabbit  said,  "I'll  dump  what  I  brought  to  feed 
you." 

He  dumped  it  out  and  each  went  his  way.  That  is  why  all  the  trees 
on  Tekoa  Mountain  have  pitch  on  them.  That  is  why  bitterroot  and 
camas  are  found  there.1 

The  only  parallel  found  for  this  myth,  the  Nes  Perce  story  of  Cotton- 
tail Boy  and  Snowshoe  Rabbit  is  identical  with  it  in  all  but  minor  details. 

Cottontail  Boy  worries  about  his  friend  Snowshoe  Rabbit  in  the  cold ;  Snowshoe 
Rabbit  worries  about  his  friend,  Cottontail  Boy,  in  warm  regions ;  they  meet,  each 
anxious  to  inquire  about  the  other's  health;  they  part  to  meet  again  some  time 
(CUCA25:3). 


36.  Dog  Goes  for  Fire 

Wolf  asks  Dog  to  steal  a  spark  of  fire 
Dog,  forgetting  Wolf,  stays  with  people 

People  had  a  fire.  Wolf  had  no  fire.  Wolf  and  Dog  were  friends.  Wolf 
said  to  Dog,  "Go  steal  a  spark  from  the  people." 

Dog  went  to  the  people.  They  fed  him  and  he  forgot  to  steal  the 
spark.  That's  all. 

The  short  Coeur  d'Alene  story  is  typical  of  the  variants  of  this  myth 
1  These  plants  are  now  extinct,  but  were  found  on  Tekoa  Mountain  until  recently. 


194  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

which  occur  in  other  bodies  of  mythology  in  a  consistently  brief  form. 
The  Cowlitz,  Humptulip,  Quileute  and  Quinault  have  the  story. 

Wolf  and  Coyote  send  Dog  for  fire ;  Dog  stays  with  the  people  who  feed  him ; 
consequently  Wolf  and  Coyote  always  fight  Dog  {Cowlitz  MAFLS  27:191). 

The  four  Wolves  give  their  younger  brother,  Dog,  scraps  to  eat ;  Dog,  left  at 
home  to  tend  the  fire,  neglects  it ;  he  is  sent  to  the  people  for  fire  and  stays  with 
them ;  dogs  can  escape  Wolves  only  by  urinating  in  their  eyes  {Humptulip  MAFLS 
27:307). 

In  the  Quileute  and  Quinault  versions  it  is  within  a  longer  myth  in 
which  the  Earth  People  wage  war  upon  the  Sky  People  that  the  motiva- 
tion for  Dog's  errand  for  fire  is  found.  Earth  People  find  themselves 
in  need  of  fire  in  the  cold  upper  regions : 

In  the  Quileute  myth  Snowbird  is  sent  to  a  house  for  fire  and  fails  to  return ;  Dog 
is  dispatched,  is  fed  by  the  Sky  People  and  stays  with  them;  Rabbit  succeeds  in 
bringing  his  fellow-warriors  fire  (CUCA  12:81). 

In  the  Quinault  myth  Robin  and  Dog  are  so  comfortable  with  the  Sky  People 
that  each  forgets  to  return  with  a  firebrand;  Dog  is  fed  camas  (MAM  4:109). 

A  Kathlamet  myth,  a  composite  of  various  elements  of  the  preceding 
versions,  is  noted  below  for  its  comparative  interest. 

Beaver  successfully  obtains  fire  from  the  Sky  People  by  a  ruse ;  the  Earth  People 
then  dispatch  Skunk,  Robin,  Mouse  and  Rat  to  seek  an  entrance  to  the  Sky  People's 
house;  Robin  warms  himself  at  a  fire  belonging  to  two  old  women  and  remains 
with  them ;  when  he  returns  home  some  time  later  his  belly  is  burnt  red  from  the 
blaze  (BBAE  26:68). 

D.   TALES  WITH    HISTORICAL  ELEMENTS 

37.  Turtle's  War  Party  {Mock  Plea) 

Turtle  assembles  Water  People  for  a  war  party 

Watersnake  refuses  to  take  part 

The  party  turns  back;  Turtle  advances  alone 

Turtle  kills  a  Nez  Perce  chief 

Turtle  is  discovered  with  chief's  scalp 

Turtle  mocks  death  by  pounding  with  a  rock  and  burning;  he  pleads  against  being 

drowned 
Thrown  into  water,  Turtle  returns  home  and  holds  scalp  dance 

Turtle  had  a  house  at  Chatcolet.  One  day  he  said,  "Come  to  my  place, 
all  of  you  who  belong  in  the  water." 


The  Myths  and  Tales  195 

The  turtles,  fishes  and  all  the  water  animals  came.  At  night  Turtle 
took  a  blanket  and  sang :  "hi  •  •  •  ahi  •  •  ■  a  •  n."  All  the  people  took  hold 
of  the  blanket  and  began  hitting  it  with  a  stick  as  they  sang.  Snake  how- 
ever was  too  proud  and  haughty  to  take  part.  He  merely  walked  some 
distance  away  with  his  striped  blanket  pulled  up  to  his  nose  and  looked  on. 

In  the  morning  Turtle  said,  "I'm  going  on  a  raid  to  the  Nez  Perce 
country." 

All  the  Water  People  started  off  with  him.  They  had  not  gone  far 
when  night  came  on.  Turtle  clubbed  the  blanket  and  sang.  The  next 
morning  they  went  on  but  on  the  second  day  had  gone  only  as  far  as 
Plummer.  The  second  night  they  sang  and  drummed  again.  In  the 
morning  the  chief,  a  big  salmon,  said,  "We'll  turn  back.  You  know  we 
belong  in  the  water.  My  children  (people)  are  dry." 

Then  Turtle  said,  "You  can  go  to  Spokane  for  all  I  care!  I  started 
and  I  am  going  to  reach  my  goal.  I  won't  turn  back." 

The  fish  all  turned  back.  Turtle  went  on  alone.  Before  night  he  came 
to  Fort  Lapwe,  a  place  in  the  Nez  Perce  country  at  the  foot  of  a  very 
steep  hill.  On  the  top  of  the  hill  he  sat  down.  He  saw  the  people  on  the 
other  side  of  Snake  River.  He  waited  until  dark.  Then  he  went  down  to 
the  water  where  he  crawled  because  it  was  his  element.  The  people  how- 
ever did  not  walk  but  moved  like  fish.  Turtle  crawled  up  to  the  shore. 
There  he  saw  many  houses.  He  went  in  among  the  tents.  There  he  dis- 
covered the  chief's  house  because  many  people  were  going  in  and  out 
to  smoke. 

After  they  had  all  come  out,  Turtle  crawled  in  and  hid  in  the  space 
between  the  main  house  poles  and  the  door.1  He  listened  until  the  chief 
snored,  "xu  xu." 

Turtle  took  his  knife  and  cut  off  the  chief's  head  at  the  throat.  He 
never  moved  or  made  a  sound.  Then  Turtle  took  hold  of  his  hair  and 
cut  his  scalp  off  entirely.  He  pulled  up  the  blanket  over  the  chief  and 
went  off  with  the  scalp  under  his  arm.  Then  Turtle  went  to  sleep.  In  the 
morning  the  people  began  to  pass  the  chief's  house  on  the  way  to  the 
sweathouse. 

His  wife  said,  "He  is  still  asleep."  She  cooked,  but  when  the  food  was 
ready  she  was  too  kind  to  waken  him.  When  the  sun  was  very  high  the 
people  came  back  from  sweating  and  said,  "Where  is  the  chief?"  The 
woman  said,  "He  is  still  sleeping."  "Why  is  that?  It  is  too  long  to  sleep." 
"My  breakfast  is  already  cold." 

He  still  did  not  stir  or  make  a  sound.  Then  the  wife  thought,  "I'll  look 
at  him."  She  turned  back  the  blanket,  "Why,  he's  dead !" 

1This  was  the  place  where  things  were  often  stored. 


196  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

Then  all  the  people  came.  They  saw  he  had  been  scalped.  As  they  were 
arranging  the  body  for  burial  they  found  Turtle  with  the  scalp  under  his 
arm.  They  said,  "This  must  be  the  one  who  killed  him."  They  pulled 
and  pulled  at  him  but  in  vain.  One  said,  "Throw  him  on  his  back  and 
pound  him  with  a  rock." 

Turtle  then  ran  and  cried,  "Go  ahead  and  try  it!  I'll  kill  some  more 
of  you."  Meanwhile  he  hit  himself  with  a  rock  as  if  he  did  not  mind 
the  blows.  The  people  said,  "No,  that  won't  kill  him.  Let  us  throw  him 
into  the  fire." 

Turtle  ran  on  his  hind  feet  like  a  dog  toward  the  fire  crying,  "That 
will  only  make  me  tougher  so  I  can  kill  more  of  you."  "No,  that  won't 
do.  How  can  we  kill  him?"  Another  suggested,  "Let's  throw  him  into 
the  water."  And  then  Turtle  covered  his  eyes  with  his  hands  and  cried 
and  begged,  "a  a,  don't,  please  don't  throw  me  into  the  water !"  "Go 
ahead !  Throw  him  in !  That's  the  way  to  kill  him." 

They  had  not  been  able  to  pull  him  away  from  the  ground  for  he 
clung  tight  to  some  obstruction,  but  now  they  took  a  stick  and  he  let 
himself  be  pried  loose.  They  took  him  toward  the  water  but  as  they 
came  near  an  old  man  said,  "Stop,  don't  you  know  that's  just  his  element." 

As  soon  as  Turtle  heard  that  he  sprang  free  and  jumped  into  the 
water.  The  people  said,  "He's  dead.  How  can  he  come  ashore  again?" 
The  old  person  said,  "Does  he  not  have  his  home  in  the  water?  There 
he  lives  from  one  year's  end  to  another." 

The  people  went  to  the  river.  From  the  other  side  they  heard  Turtle 
singing  and  waving  the  scalp  "axiya  xiya."  They  crossed  the  river  and 
chased  him  to  the  top  of  the  hill  but  they  could  not  catch  up  with  him, 
so  they  turned  back. 

Turtle  came  home  to  Chatcolet.  He  cut  off  the  branch  of  a  bush  to 
which  he  tied  the  scalp.  He  waved  it  and  kept  on  singing.  The  people 
said,  "Turtle  must  have  come  back.  He  brought  a  scalp."  So  they  had 
a  scalp  dance.1 

Each  one  dressed  himself  up  in  his  best.  He  painted  his  face  red  and 
yellow  and  combed  his  hair  in  a  different  way.  He  made  stripes  all  over 
his  body  with  red  paint,  especially  under  the  arms.  Frog  and  the  various 
fishes,  all  painted  themselves  and  danced  and  sang.  Turtle  kept  hold  of 
the  scalp.  The  people  danced  and  gave  the  war-whoop.  Snake  just  stood 
with  his  striped  blanket  drawn  up  to  his  nose  like  a  Nez  Perce  and  never 
took  part  in  any  of  the  dance.2 

1  The  stem  is  said  to  mean  "make  fun  of,  taunt,  an  enemy." 

*  Nowadays  the  Nez  Nerce  fear  the  turtle  much  as  many  white  people  fear  the 
mouse.  A  Nez  Perce  chief  was  actually  mysteriously  murdered  and  no  one  was 
ever  able  to  find  out  who  did  it  (explanation  by  interpreter). 


The  Myths  and  Tales  197 

Turtle  figures  as  the  lone  killer  in  a  similar  myth  of  the  Kutenai : 

Turtle  goes  to  a  strange  town ;  he  kills  a  chief ;  he  is  discovered  with  the  chief's 
head ;  he  mocks  death  inflicted  by  a  knife,  a  bow  or  an  ax ;  he  pleads  against  death 
in  the  water ;  released  in  the  water,  he  returns  with  the  chief's  head  to  the  tent  he 
shares  with  Beaver  (BBAE  59:22). 

An  Okanagon  version  opens  with  the  animals'  war  expedition  against  the  sky 
forces  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  fire ;  Turtle  falls  from  the  sky  and  kills  a  per- 
son (Globus  52:137).  His  adventures  at  this  point  follow  the  outline  recorded  for 
those  of  the  Kutenai  myth.  In  conclusion  the  animals  return  home  from  the  sky. 

In  a  myth  of  the  Thompson  chief  Rainbow  Trout  replaces  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  Turtle  as  the  leader  of  a  war  party.  The  story  is  concerned 
however  solely  with  the  warring  expedition  and  Chief  Rainbow  Trout 
has  no  individual  significance  beyond  the  fact  of  his  leadership. 

Rainbow  Trout  summons  the  fishes  of  the  interior  for  a  war  party  into  the  coast 
country ;  some  of  the  party  turn  back,  the  rest  continue ;  they  wage  successful  wars 
against  the  coast  fish  and  spread  into  the  streams  over  the  country;  some  return 
home  (MAM  12:350). 

Further  instances  of  the  use  of  the  Mock  Plea  appear  in  other  con- 
nections in  the  mythology  of  the  Tlingit,  Quinault,  Chinook  and  Nootka : 

A  great  swimmer's  wife  dies ;  he  finds  her  in  a  hostile  village  in  the  sky ;  he  mocks 
death  by  fire,  pleads  against  being  thrown  into  the  water  and  swims  away  to  safety ; 
Spider  Woman  helps  him  descend  from  the  sky  with  his  wife  (Tlingit  BBAE 
39:251). 

Squirrel  and  Black  Diver  taunt  Bluejay  for  killing  his  own  child  in  a  Bungling 
Host  episode;  Bluejay  takes  them  captive  in  his  canoe;  the  ropes  binding  them 
break  continually;  Black  Diver  suggests  weeds  instead;  he  bursts  them  and  dives 
into  the  water;  Squirrel  suggests  Bluejay  confine  him  in  a  brush-pile;  Squirrel 
escapes  (Quinault  MAM  4:91). 

In  the  Chinook  myth  Bluejay  is  similarly  tricked  by  the  man  he  holds  captive  in 
his  canoe,  who  suggests  sea-grass  as  more  effective  than  rope  for  binding  him ;  the 
man,  when  thrown  into  the  water,  unties  his  bonds  and  escapes  (BBAE  20:22). 

In  the  Nootka  story  Cuttlefish  begs  a  man  not  to  kill  him  in  front  of  his  house, 
on  the  shore  or  in  shallow  water,  for  people  would  say  the  man's  threshold  was 
bloody;  the  man  takes  him  out  into  deep  water;  Cuttlefish  wraps  his  arms  about 
him  and  drowns  him  (IS  109). 

Bluejay's  war  party  is  the  subject  of  a  Shuswap  myth.  The  expedi- 
tion has  for  its  goal  the  conquering  of  a  water  monster  and  thus  belongs 


198  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

in  quite  a  different  category  from  that  of  Turtle's  War  Party.  The 
similarity  lies  solely  in  matters  of  war  procedure. 

Bluejay  dances  the  war-dance,  sings  his  war  song,  sets  out  on  the  warpath  with 
his  brothers,  kills  the  water  monster,  and  dances  the  dance  of  victory  (MAM  4:665). 

38.  Two-Headed  Snakes 

Women  gathering  camas  encounter  snakes  with  two  heads  on  each  end 
A  flood  reaches  the  snakes'  hole  in  the  cliff  and  destroys  them 

Directly  north  of  the  old  church  at  Cataldo  there  is  a  flat  where 
many  camas  grow.  Women  gathering  camas  would  hear  teeth  knocking 
together,  otsax  tsax,  and  would  see  something  coming  over  the  grass. 
It  was  a  two-headed  snake  which  had  to  go  flat  over  the  grass  like  a 
scraper  so  as  to  keep  its  heads  in  place.  Some  of  the  women  ran,  but 
some  were  not  quick  enough  and  were  struck.  Some  were  knocked  down 
because  it  was  so  strong. 

There  came  a  rain.  Snakes'  house  was  high  in  a  hole  in  the  cliff  north 
of  the  camas  flat.  It  rained  so  hard  the  flood  reached  the  hole  and  killed 
the  snakes.  They  were  never  seen  after  that. 

When  I  was  a  little  girl  I  used  to  hear  of  snakes  with  heads  on  both 
ends.1 

The  Coeur  d'Alene  narrator  of  the  Two-Headed  Snake  story  claimed 
it  was  a  true  story.  The  double-headed  snake  or  serpent  appears  in 
stories  of  other  tribes  as  an  avowedly  mythological  being  to  which  super- 
natural power  is  commonly  attached. 

Four  myths  may  be  noted  for  the  Kwakiutl  in  which  the  double- 
headed  serpent  puts  in  an  appearance : 

A  man  sees  a  double-headed  serpent  and  kills  it  (MAM  5  :60)  ;  a  woman  finds 
the  scales  of  a  double-headed  serpent  and  rubs  her  son's  arrows  with  them  (MAM 
5:138)  ;  a  boy  washes  his  hands  in  the  slime  of  the  double-headed  serpent  and  be- 
comes Stone  Hand  (MAM  5  :146)  ;  a  man  rubs  his  son  with  the  salmon,  the  double- 
headed  serpent  he  has  killed,  and  the  boy  becomes  Stone  Body  (MAM  5:197). 

A  number  of  further  references  to  the  fabulous  snake  may  be  found 
distributed  among  the  Lower  Fraser,  Squamish,  Comox,  Kwakiutl  and 
Newettee  tribes: 

A  man  safely  passes  the  double-headed  snake  {Lower  Fraser  IS  41)  ;  a  boy  kills 
the  double-headed  snake  with  a  head  at  each  end    {Squamish  IS   58)  ;  boys  in 

1  Dorothy's  father  saw  these  snakes.  Each  was  about  three  feet  long,  as  thick  as 
an  arm  and  had  two  heads  at  each  end.  Their  den  was  a  hole  in  the  cliff  which 
could  not  be  reached  by  man  from  the  top  or  the  bottom. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  199 

heaven  catch  the  double-headed  snake  and  instruct  it  to  eat  their  father-in-law, 
one  head  eating  at  each  end  (Comox  IS  68)  ;  a  man  sees  a  fiery  two-headed  snake, 
hurls  his  spear  at  it  and  receives  supernatural  power  for  catching  seals  from  it 
(Comox  IS  81)  ;  men  test  their  power  by  feeding  each  other  a  double-headed  snake 
but  they  both  survive  the  test  (Kwakiutl  IS  134)  ;  two  transformers  see  the  beauti- 
ful two-headed  snake,  one  kills  it  and  takes  its  skin  and  eyes  which  help  him  in 
great  displays  of  power  (Newettee  IS  195).  In  still  another  Kwakiutl  myth  some 
of  the  beams  of  the  hero's  house  are  represented  as  being  double-headed  snakes; 
these  come  to  life  upon  festive  occasions  and  kill  any  evil  person  who  enters  the 
house  (IS  166). 

In  the  Coeur  d'Alene  myth  there  is  no  such  supernatural  adaptation 
of  this  alleged  natural  phenomenon. 

39.  The  Dwarf 

A  man  out  hunting  loses  his  powderhorn 

A  dwarf  hangs  it  on  a  stump 

The  man's  wife  is  injured  by  a  dwarf  at  a  waterhole 

Once  a  man  went  hunting.  He  had  a  bandolier  with  a  powderbox  of 
buffalo  horn.  As  he  walked  along  he  noticed  that  the  box  was  missing. 
He  turned  back  to  look  for  it.  He  thought,  "It  must  have  fallen  on  the 
trail  whence  I  came."  He  searched  a  whole  day  without  finding  it.  The 
next  day  he  saw  it  hanging  on  a  stump.  That's  where  a  dwarf  had 
hung  it. 

That  same' man  went  hunting  another  time.  His  wife  stayed  home. 
She  went  to  a  hole  in  the  ice  for  water.  Far  off  the  man  heard  scream- 
ing. It  was  the  woman  crying.  He  thought,  "I  wonder  what  is  the  mat- 
ter." He  turned  back  and  went  past  his  house  toward  the  water.  He 
saw  his  wife  standing  on  the  ice  and  there  was  nothing  but  blood  around 
her.  He  said,  "What  is  the  matter?"  The  woman  said,  "A  dwarf  hurt 
me."  That's  all. 

40.  Man  Caught  in  a  Fire  Corral 

People  impound  animals  in  fire  corral 

Fire  gets  beyond  control  and  people  rush  out 

One  man  is  missing 

The  people  look  for  him  at  night 

They  find  something  in  the  dark  and  wail  over  it 

It  turns  out  to  be  a  grizzly  bear 

The  man  is  found  alive,  but  badly  burned 

They  tell  about  a  time  when  the  people  made  a  fire  corral  near  Sand 
Point.  The  grass  was  burned  in  a  large  circle  and  a  small  opening  was 


200  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

left  into  which  the  animals  were  driven.  Just  as  they  were  shooting 
the  impounded  animals  a  strong  wind  came  up  and  burned  the  grass  in- 
side the  fire  corral.  Those  who  had  game  ran  to  the  entrance  with  it. 
Someone  noticed  that  one  of  the  men  had  killed  something.  They  ran 
home  and  as  soon  as  they  got  to  the  house  where  they  had  a  council  they 
found  out  that  one  was  missing. 

"I  guess  he  must  be  burned,"  they  said.  They  waited  for  him  until 
night  but  he  did  not  come  back.  "He  must  certainly  be  burned,"  they 
thought.  His  wife  said,  "Come  with  me.  We'll  look  for  him." 

I  don't  know  how  many  people  (but  many)  went  with  her.  They  came 
to  the  place.  "It  was  right  here  we  saw  him  last,"  a  man  told  the  woman. 
The  people  scattered  in  every  direction.  "Here  is  where  he  lies  dead," 
they  reported. 

They  saw  something  black  lying  there  in  the  dark.  They  all  sur- 
rounded it  and  began  to  cry  and  wail.  The  woman  sat  by  what  she 
thought  was  the  head  and  the  rest  sat  around  the  dark  thing.  Then  she 
thought,  "I'll  feel  it."  She  felt  its  face  but  it  did  not  seem  like  a  person. 
She  felt  further  back  and  cried,  "He  has  long  ears.  It's  very  different 
from  a  man." 

They  all  felt  and  found  it  was  a  bear.  Then  they  laughed.  They  got 
up  and  searched  again.  They  finally  found  another  dark  figure  lying 
there.  It  was  the  man.  He  was  still  breathing,  although  he  was  badly 
burned.  "I  guess  the  bear  was  his  catch,"  they  thought.  They  took  him 
back  to  his  house. 

Thus  it  is  at  the  end  of  the  trail. 

41.  Flathead  Chief  Sends  his  Daughter  to  Chief  Waxane' 

Flathead  Chief  sends  his  daughter  to  Waxane',  Coeur  d'Alene  chief 

Leader  of  Ugly  People  pretends  to  be  Waxane',  marries  girl 

Girl  consults  real  Waxane"s  daughter 

Waxane'  has  false  chief  and  all  Ugly  People  killed 

Waxane'  pays  damages  to  false  Waxane"s  children 

One  of  the  Flathead  chiefs  had  a  daughter.  He  said  to  her.  "There 
is  a  famous  Coeur  d'Alene.  Go  to  him  and  stay.1  I  am  not  sure  of  the 
road  but  you  climb  a  high  mountain.  When  you  get  on  top  you  will  see 
a  river  flowing  toward  the  Nez  Perce  country,  one  toward  the  Black- 
foot,  one  toward  the  Kalispelm  country  and  one  directly  toward  the 
place  where  the  sun  sets.  That  is  the  way  you  should  go." 

The  girl  went.  She  climbed  the  mountain.  She  saw  the  water  flowing 
toward  the  west.  She  came  to  the  big  stream.  Suddenly  she  saw  a  person 

1  The  implication  is  that  he  would  take  her  for  a  wife. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  201 

coming  toward  her  on  the  water.  She  went  toward  him  and  sat  down  on 
the  bank.  He  rowed  up  to  her.  "Oh,  you're  here,"  he  said.  "Yes."  "Why- 
are  you  wandering  around  this  way?"  "Yes,  my  father  said  to  me,  'Go 
to  Chief  Waxane'.'  Am  I  going  toward  his  place?"  "Why  yes,  I  am 
the  one  you  were  sent  to.  Come,  get  into  my  canoe." 

He  paddled  on.  She  went  with  him  to  his  home.  "What  has  hap- 
pened?" he  was  asked.  "You  bring  a  girl  back  as  your  partner?"  "Yes, 
her  father  told  her  to  come  to  me,  so  she  came." 

She  stayed  there  for  a  time.  The  man  had  many  brothers.  These 
people  were  called  Ugly  People.  They  lived  apart  from  the  rest  of  the 
people.  When  the  girl  became  better  acquainted  she  thought,  "I  don't 
believe  this  is  Waxane'."  She  found  out  that  the  man  who  really  had 
that  name  had  a  little  girl.  She  watched  for  her.  She  saw  her  come  and 
said,  "Come,  come!"  Then  she  questioned  her,  "Who  is  your  father?" 
She  answered,  "His  name  is  Chief  Waxane'."  "Why!  He's  the  man  I 
was  sent  to." 

The  little  girl  went  home  and  told  her  father  about  the  woman  and 
the  directions  which  had  been  given  her.  He  said,  "Ah !"  Then  he  went 
to  the  girl  and  asked,  "Am  I  the  one  you  were  sent  to?"  She  said,  "My 
father  sent  me  to  Chief  Waxane'.  A  man  saw  me  and  said,  T  am  the 
one/  so  I  went  with  him."  "The  next  time  they  go  hunting  say,  'I  am 
sick.  I  have  a  headache.  When  it  is  better  I'll  go  with  you.' "  She  said, 
"All  right!" 

In  a  few  days  they  said  the  people  were  going  hunting.  She  said,  "I 
have  a  headache."  They  went.  The  mother  and  father  were  the  last  to 
go.  Just  at  sunset  the  real  Waxane'  said  to  his  people,  "Go,  kill  that 
man." 

They  tracked  him  and  killed  him  between  St.  Mary's  and  Wallace. 
After  they  had  passed  this  place  the  chief  said,  "Go,  find  the  rest  and 
kill  them." 

There  was  an  old  man.  He  was  made  to  come  along.  At  night  he  was 
told,  "Go  in,  if  you  are  quiet  all  the  people  will  say  to  you,  'Now  tell 
stories.' "  He  did  as  he  was  told.  From  a  distance  he  saw  a  house.  He 
went  in.  The  people  said  to  him,  "You  could  come  up  to  the  fire."  It 
was  cold.  He  said,  "I  am  cold.  What  you  have  left,  just  the  scraps,  I'll 
eat.  That's  why  I  came." 

He  began  to  tell  stories.  They  said,  "Stop  now,  we  are  sleepy."  But 
no !  He  kept  right  on.  When  they  snored  he  went  back  to  his  partners, 
"They're  all  asleep." 

The  youngest  and  oldest  went  in  and  killed  all  the  people.1 

1  The  Ugly  People  lived  at  a  place  called  Hinma'tsap. 


202  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

"Go  back  to  Waxane'."  Three  men  went. 

The  chief  had  said,  "Don't  kill  the  children,  but  just  their  parents 
for  they  are  your  sister's  sons.  If  he  shoots  at  you  say,  'Stop,  my 
mother's  brothers.' " 

They  all  went.  The  father  was  killed.  They  said  to  the  children, 
"Your  mother's  brother  said,  'Go  kill  your  father,  but  do  not  kill  the 
children.'  "  They  came  back  and  reported,  "We  didn't  kill  them."  After 
some  days  they  came  back  crying. 

The  chief  said,  "Bring  all  the  things  you  can,  clothes,  moccasins, 
pants,  blankets.  The  children  have  arrived." 

The  chief  called  them  in.  He  said,  "Because  your  parents  were  wicked 
they  were  killed.  You  must  not  be  that  way,  you  must  be  good.  Well, 
here  are  the  damages."  That's  all. 

The  end  of  the  trail. 

Other  tribes  have  myths  in  which  similar  instances  of  mistaken  iden- 
tity occur  but,  beyond  this  stylistic  resemblance  to  the  Coeur  d'Alene 
factual  narrative,  the  myths  are  distinct. 

A  Kathlamet  myth  of  this  class  calls  to  mind  perhaps  more  readily 
the  introductory  episodes  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  Skunk  and  Fisher  story 
(tale  23). 

Bluejay  sends  a  maiden  to  chief  Panther;  Beaver  deceives  the  girl  about  his 
identity  and  she  stays  with  him;  Panther  fetches  her;  Beaver  causes  a  flood  (BBAE 
26:20). 

In  Tsimshian  mythology  a  princess  mistakes  the  Prince  from  Heaven's  slave  for 
the  prince  and  marries  him;  the  prince  marries  the  princess'  lame  sister,  whom  he 
cures;  the  prince  and  his  wife  transform  the  slave  and  princess  into  fish  (ARBAE 
31:298). 

In  a  Kwakiutl  myth  Prince  Property  Body  tells  his  sweetheart,  Calling  Tribes, 
he  will  not  be  able  to  come  to  her  one  night ;  that  evening  Calling  Tribes  mistakes 
a  stranger,  Chief  of  the  Wood  Men,  for  Property  Body ;  Wood  Man  takes  Calling 
Tribes  to  the  ghosts'  country;  Calling  Tribes  partakes  of  the  ghosts'  food  and  is 
doomed  to  remain  with  them  (MAM  5:250). 

In  a  Thompson  myth  Crow,  a  slave,  leads  his  mistress  to  believe  he  is  a  wealthy 
stranger ;  he  has  connection  with  her  and  flies  away ;  she  pronounces  him  hence- 
forth a  crow  (MAM  12:236). 

The  incidental  element  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  tale,  telling  stories  in 
order  to  put  the  enemy  to  sleep,  is  made  use  of  by  many  other  tribes, 
for  example,  by  the  Kwakiutl,  Nootka,  Haida  and  Tlingit. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  203 

Deer  effects  his  escape  from  his  captors,  the  Wolves,  by  putting  them 
to  sleep  with  a  story  (Kwakiutl  CUCA  2:163;  Nootka  IS  110).  Chief 
Wisest  One  put  Cannibal  at  North  End  of  World,  his  wife  and  child,  to 
sleep  with  a  story,  so  that  he  and  his  children  can  kill  them ;  the  canni- 
bals' ashes  become  horseflies  and  mosquitoes  (Kwakiutl  CUCA  2 :39) . 
Raven  puts  Chief  Eagle  to  sleep  with  a  long  story  (of  his  origin  and 
the  world's  history),  so  that  he  can  steal  the  water  of  which  Eagle  is 
keeper ;  springs  and  rivers  flow  where  water  drips  from  Raven's  mouth 
(Eagle  smokes  Raven  black  when  the  latter  flees  as  a  crow,  dripping 
water  upon  the  earth)  (Haida  MAM  8:235 ;  Tlingit  JAFL  20:294). 

42.  The  Coeur  d'Alene  Attacked 

Three  boys  are  instructed  to  seek  vision 

One  of  the  boys  sees  woman  in  bright  light  who  warns  him  of  enemy 

Boy  refuses  to  leave  camp 

Enemy  attacks,  other  two  boys  killed 

Boy  and  mother  run  away 

He  returns  for  new  suit 

He  and  mother  escape,  return  to  stunned  father 

Clean  Face  faces  enemy  alone 

Clean  Face's  daughter  shot  in  back 

Boy's  uncle's  horses  stolen  by  enemy 

Uncle  heads  off  enemy 

Shoots  enemy  riding  lead  horse 

Party  returns  home  with  horses 

Long  ago  before  the  white  man  had  come  a  boy  lived  near  the  place 
which  is  now  the  old  Mission  at  Cataldo.  In  those  days  children  were 
obedient  to  their  parents.  It  was  the  custom  for  the  boys  to  make  a  one- 
night  camp  in  order  to  make  them  smart  (successful).  If  a  boy  slept  at 
a  one-night  camp  perhaps  he  would  dream  that  an  animal  talked  with 
him.  It  might  be  a  woodpecker.  He  would  tell  the  boy  how  he  ought  to 
act.  When  he  got  back  the  seeker  of  the  vision  would  wear  a  token  of 
his  encounter  with  the  guardian.  It  might  be  a  bear's  claw  or  a  feather. 
Such  an  experience  would  make  a  boy  successful. 

Near  Cataldo  three  families  lived,  each  had  a  young  boy.  Their 
fathers  said  to  them,  "It  is  time  for  you  to  make  your  one-night  camp." 
One  who  was  tall  was  told  to  go  to  one  place.  A  small  one  was  sent  to 
Little  Plummer.  The  father  said  to  the  boy  of  my  story,  "Make  your 
fire  a  little  distance  from  the  small  boy." 

They  were  to  go  at  sundown  so  the  parents  could  see  plainly  when 
and  where  they  built  their  fires.  After  they  had  been  instructed  the  boys 
were  very  happy.  They  jumped  about  and  challenged  each  other  to  a 


204  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

hoop-game,  saying,  "The  one  who  gets  into  those  willow  bushes  first 
wins."  They  ran  off. 

Just  as  the  boy  of  my  story  entered  the  brush  he  saw  a  very  bright 
light.  He  was  terribly  afraid.  He  tried  to  step  back  but  it  was  as  if  his 
body  was  dead.  He  could  not  move.  In  the  light  he  saw  a  beautiful 
woman  the  like  of  which  he  had  never  seen.  She  spoke  to  him,  "When 
your  father  calls  and  says,  'Go !'  do  not  go,  for  the  enemy  is  where  he 
wants  you  to  go."  Then  she  disappeared. 

In  those  days  they  called  the  enemy  Chop  Faces.  After  the  woman 
had  gone  the  boy  could  move  again.  He  stepped  back  and  ran  home. 
When  he  went  into  the  house  he  sat  still  and  said  not  a  word.  He  sat 
apart  and  watched  the  other  children  playing  but  did  not  join  them. 
He  thought,  "When  my  father  calls  I  won't  go.  If  I  do,  I'll  only  pre- 
tend. I  will  really  go  to  my  father's  brother  because  he  lives  near  where 
father  told  me  to  go.  But  then,  if  my  father  finds  out  I  have  deceived 
him  he  will  surely  kill  me.  Or,  if  I  crouch  nearby  I'll  become  a  stone 
because  father  says  children  who  are  stubborn  and  disobedient  become 
stones." 

Finally  he  made  up  his  mind,  "I  won't  go."  He  sat  there  grieving 
within  his  heart.  As  the  sun  went  down  the  small  boy  was  told  by  his 
father,  "Go,  it's  time  now !"  The  tall  one  was  directed,  "It's  time  to  go 
to  make  the  one-night  camp." 

Finally  the  father  of  the  boy  of  my  story  said,  "It's  time  to  go  now," 
but  the  boy  paid  no  attention.  A  second  time  he  was  reminded,  "It's 
time.  Didn't  I  say  before,  'The  little  one  is  obedient.' "  Then  the  boy 
looked  at  his  father's  father  who  was  quietly  laughing.  The  father  took 
a  bucket  and  threw  it  hard  at  his  son  saying,  "Get  me  some  water!  I 
am  thirsty." 

The  boy  was  glad  to  have  something  to  do  and  ran  out  with  the 
bucket.  In  no  time  he  had  filled  it  and  soon  set  it  down  by  his  father. 
Then  his  grandfather  said  to  his  father,  "Don't  say  any  more  to  him. 
He  must  have  some  reason  for  not  going.  You  know  yourself  he  never 
says  'No'  at  other  times."1  So  the  father  did  not  repeat  his  orders  to  his 
son. 

Just  as  it  became  dark  the  elders  looked  for  the  fires.  They  could  see 
at  a  distance  the  small  boy  sitting  behind  his  fire  which  reddened  his 
face.  Soon  he  was  killed  by  the  enemy  who  had  been  there  filing  down 
rocks  all  day  for  bullets.  Long  after  this  the  people  used  to  see  the  place 
where  the  boys  had  camped. 

Just  at  daybreak  the  enemy  moved  on  to  Cataldo.  They  surrounded 

1  That  is,  he  is  not  usually  disobedient. 


The  Myths  and  Tales  205 

the  houses  and  shot  at  random.  As  soon  as  the  head  of  the  house  fell 
the  boy  was  wakened  by  his  mother,  "Wake  up,  already  the  enemy  have 
surrounded  us.  Your  father  has  been  killed."  Out  of  a  sound  sleep  the 
boy  jumped  up.  His  mother  said,  "Hurry !  Let  us  run !  Follow  me !" 

They  ran.  When  they  were  not  far  from  the  house  the  boy  remem- 
bered the  little  suit  which  his  mother  had  made  for  him  to  wear  after  he 
had  made  his  one-night  camp.  He  ran  back  and  got  it  from  under  his 
pillow.  He  saw  his  father  lying  face  down.  Just  as  he  ran  off  he  was 
shot  at.  He  pretended  to  fall,  got  up  and  ran  on  again.  He  ran  to  the 
water  where  his  mother  was  waiting  in  a  canoe.  They  paddled  off  and 
hid  until  the  enemy  went  away.  Then  they  returned  to  their  home.  The 
father  was  alive.  He  had  not  been  killed  but  was  only  stunned.  He  said 
to  his  son,  "Why  didn't  you  tell  us  why  you  did  not  want  to  make  your 
one-night  camp?"  "You  wouldn't  have  believed  me,"  he  answered. 

When  the  enemy  left  Cataldo  they  went  toward  the  house  of  Clean 
Face.  All  alone  he  faced  them.  They  shot  at  him  and  he  returned  their 
shots.  He  killed  one  and  ran  at  them  growling  like  a  grizzly  bear,  hi  •  •  •  . 
The  enemy  answered  hi  •  •  •  and  Clean  Face  said,  "Why  don't  you  stay 
home  where  you  belong?"1 

Finally  the  enemy  surrounded  him.  Only  then  they  discovered  that 
he  was  alone.  One  of  them  shouted,  "Catch  him!  He's  alone!"  (This 
was  spoken  in  bad  Kalispelm.)  Clean  Face  answered,  "All  right!"  Go 
ahead,  catch  me!  I'm  all  alone!" 

Just  about  that  time  Clean  Face's  daughter  was  shot.  The  arrow  was 
sticking  in  her  back.  She  took  up  a  handful  of  dust  and  threw  it  on  the 
wound.  Someone  said,  "Why  do  you  do  that?  Don't  you  know  the 
thunder  always  brings  dust  with  him?"2  The  dust  however  brought  no 
harm  and  her  wound  healed  quickly. 

The  paternal  uncle  of  the  boy  of  my  story  lived  with  his  mother  east 
of  Little  Plummer.  They  had  many  horses.  His  mother  had  heard  them 
whinnying,  "The  horses  are  talking.  Go  and  see  what  is  wrong."  Her 
son  did  not  pay  any  attention  to  her.  Soon  she  said  again,  "Go,  see 
what  is  the  matter."  "No,  I  suppose  it  is  that  leader  of  the  herd,  the 
one  with  the  red  on  his  back.  He's  probably  fighting  with  the  others." 

Some  time  after  she  told  him  again.  He  went  then  but  the  horses 
were  gone.  He  came  back  to  his  mother.  "The  horses  are  gone.  Maybe 
they  were  driven  off  by  the  enemy."  Then  he  reported  to  his  neighbors, 
"My  horses  have  been  driven  off." 

They  hired  runners  to  go  in  every  direction.  They  got  ready  and  as- 
sembled. They  followed  the  enemy.  The  boy's  uncle  headed  off  the 

1It  sounds  "meaner"  than  this  in  Coeur  d'Alene  (Julia). 
*  This  means  using  the  dust  would  bring  bad  luck. 


206  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

enemy  by  going  ahead  as  far  as  the  river.  There  he  climbed  a  tree  and 
waited.  He  aimed  his  gun  at  the  spot  where  they  were  coming.  Soon  he 
heard  the  tramp  of  horses  and  it  was  not  long  before  they  came  in  sight. 
Red  on  Back,  the  leader,  was  being  ridden  by  the  enemy.  He  went  down 
to  the  river  to  drink.  Just  as  he  was  drinking  the  boy's  uncle  pulled  the 
trigger.  The  enemy  fell  off  the  horse.  The  rest  were  so  frightened  they 
scattered  in  every  direction.  The  horse  turned  back  home  followed  by 
all  the  other  horses. 

The  boy's  uncle  came  down  from  the  tree.  He  had  not  gone  far  when 
he  met  his  fellow  tribesmen.  "I  shot  and  killed  one  of  the  enemy.  I  saw 
him  fall  off  the  horse.  Then  I  hurried  back." 

They  headed  the  horses  so  they  would  run  homeward.  Then  the 
people  said,  "Let's  go  see."  They  went  to  the  water  but  the  enemy  was 
gone.  They  could  see  where  he  had  fallen.  They  said,  "He  must  have 
been  stunned.  That's  why  he  fell  off.  Well,  let's  turn  back."  They  went. 
As  they  came  out  of  the  woods  on  to  the  prairie  they  saw  Red  on  Back 
way  over  on  the  side  towards  home. 

This  war  narrative  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  is  the  only  reference  to  the 
custom  of  seeking  a  vision.  This  religious  custom  also  makes  its  way 
into  Thompson  mythology.  Moreover  the  vision  of  the  beautiful  woman 
seen  in  the  bright  light,  which  shows  white  influence,  is  featured  again 
in  a  Ten' a  myth. 

A  boy  goes  out  alone  to  seek  supernatural  power  in  a  dream;  he  plants  a  stake 
to  show  his  father  where  he  has  been;  he  closes  up  a  lake  so  that  whales  no  longer 
emerge  there  (Thompson  MAM  12:269). 

A  chief  out  hunting  enters  a  beautiful  house  where  a  supernatural  woman  of 
great  beauty  is  revealed  to  him  in  a  sudden  burst  of  light;  in  a  great  illumination 
he  sees  the  woman's  mother ;  he  becomes  purified  (he  marries  the  woman,  visits 
his  home  with  his  wife  and  disobeys  her ;  she  returns  to  her  invisible  house ;  he 
finally  recovers  her  there)   (Ten'a  PAES  6:51). 

In  a  Kwakiutl  myth  Scab  Boy  sees  a  "brightness"  at  the  place  to  which  the  Ducks 
are  conducting  him  (CUCA  2:67). 


43.  Two  Women  Overcome  Nez  Perce  Man 

Two  old  women  camping  near  Nez  Perce  country  cook 
One  sees  enemy  peeping  through  door 
Women  pretend  to  fight,  moving  toward  door 
One  throws  hot  mush  in  enemy's  face  and  kills  him 


The  Myths  and  Tales  207 

Two  very  old  women  went  camping  toward  the  Nez  Perce  country. 
They  made  a  camp  and  cooked  a  gruel  of  roots.  Just  as  it  began  to  boil 
one  of  the  women  suddenly  looked  toward  the  doorway.  She  saw  one 
of  the  enemy  peeping  in.  "Don't  look  toward  the  door,"  she  said  to  her 
friend.  "We  are  being  observed.  Let  us  get  angry  at  each  other." 

The  other  woman  said  in  Nez  Perce,  "You're  ugly !"  "It  is  not  true !" 
They  stood  up  to  fight,  one  of  them  with  the  pot  of  boiling  mush  under 
her  arm.  The  enemy  was  on  his  hands  and  knees  and  had  his  mouth 
open.  As  the  women,  fighting  each  other,  came  close  to  the  door,  one 
threw  the  hot  mush  in  the  man's  face.  He  ran,  but  afterwards  they 
found  him  dead  not  far  from  the  door. 


44.  Woman  Saved  by  Loose  Saddle  Cinch 

Women  camp  out  during  the  serviceberry  season 

Girl  dreams  of  enemy 

Women  attacked,  one  is  captured  and  one  killed 

Captive's  husband  shot  in  leg 

Coeur  d'Alene  man  attacks  like  grizzly  bear 

Enemy  escapes  with  woman 

Woman  escapes  when  saddle  cinch  becomes  loose 

Squirrel  instructs  her  to  hide  under  log 

Enemy  leaves  and  woman  returns  home 

Long  ago,  many  years  before  the  white  man  came,  the  Coeur  d'Alene 
had  small  settlements.  About  three  families  lived  in  each  place.  The 
people  were  always  on  the  lookout  for  attacks  by  the  enemy.  The  enemy 
would  hide  behind  bushes  and  attack  unexpectedly.  One  time  the  Kalis- 
pelm  surprised  a  group  of  people.  It  was  the  serviceberry  season.  Many 
women  had  gone  to  camp  near  Cataldo.  Not  far  from  there  was  a  good 
serviceberry  flat. 

One  night  a  girl  dreamed  that  the  enemy  took  them  by  surprise.  In 
the  morning  she  said  to  her  mother,  "I  dreamed  we  were  attacked.  Let 
us  go  back."  Her  mother  said,  "No,  I  found  berries  over  there  and  to- 
morrow we  will  go."  The  next  day  they  all  went  to  pick.  The  girl  said 
to  her  mother,  "You  pick  there.  I  will  pick  from  the  opposite  side  of 
the  same  bush." 

Just  as  they  were  picking  the  enemy  came  galloping  toward  them.  They 
ran  and  crawled  into  the  long  grass  and  all  escaped  but  one  woman.  The 
enemy  took  the  woman  captive  and  said  to  her,  "Where  are  your  house 
and  the  horses?" 

She  pointed  in  the  opposite  direction  thinking  the  enemy  would  travel 
far  and  thus  tire.  They  rode  over  logs  and  stumps  in  the  woods  and 


208  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

finally  came  out  onto  a  prairie.  Here  a  woman  was  digging  camas.  The 
enemy  touched  her  with  an  arrow.  She  turned  to  defend  herself  with 
her  digging  stick.  The  enemy  hit  her  over  the  head  and  she  died.  Then 
they  went  to  the  house  of  the  woman  they  had  captured.  The  few  Coeur 
d'Alene  there  shot  at  the  enemy.  One  of  them  ran  to  get  his  wife.  They 
shot  him  so  he  fell  and  broke  his  leg. 

Another  Coeur  d'Alene  man  growled  and  attacked  like  a  grizzly  bear 
so  that  the  enemy  turned  and  ran  back  to  their  own  country  taking  the 
woman  with  them.  As  they  were  riding  the  cinch  of  the  horse  on  which 
she  and  her  captor  were  riding  came  loose.  The  enemy  got  down  to 
tighten  the  cinch.  The  woman  thought,  "I  will  run."  She  got  down  and 
ran.  Not  far  distant  was  a  fallen  balsam  fir  whose  leaves  had  not  yet 
dropped  off.  As  she  hid  there  she  was  touched  by  a  squirrel  who  said  to 
her,  "Go  under  the  log  and  stay  until  he  is  gone.  Then  you  can  go  back 
home  again." 

She  hid  there.  She  heard  horse's  hooves  coming  toward  her,  passing 
by  very  near  her,  then  going  on.  Then  the  sound  died  away.  Until  dark 
she  lay  there.  Then  she  came  out  and  went  home.  When  the  people  saw 
her  they  were  very  glad.  Her  hair  had  been  smeared  with  red  paint.  Some- 
one said  to  her,  "Who  combed  you  like  that?"  She  said,  "The  enemy." 
They  told  her,  "Your  husband  had  his  leg  broken."  She  was  sorry,  but 
she  was  glad  she  had  escaped  and  that  her  husband  had  been  saved  even 
though  he  had  a  broken  leg. 


45.  The  Coeur  d'Alene  Fight  the  Kutenai 

Two  Coeur  d'Alene  meet  two  Kutenai 

Coeur  d'Alene  request  shirt  exchange 

As  Kutenai  draws  off  shirt,  Coeur  d'Alene  stabs  him 

Coeur  d'Alene  kill  Kutenai 

Two  Coeur  d'Alene  brothers  climbed  a  mountain.  As  they  came  over 
the  top  they  saw  two  Kutenai  coming  up  the  other  side.  The  Coeur 
d'Alene  said,  "Let's  kill  them !"  The  younger  said,  "All  right !" 

As  they  came  up  to  the  Kutenai  the  Coeur  d'Alene  said,  "Let's  ex- 
change our  shirts."  The  Kutenai  objected  because  they  said  they  would 
not  look  like  their  kind  but  the  Coeur  d'Alene  prevailed.  "You  Kutenai, 
take  yours  off  first." 

The  Coeur  d'Alene  had  hold  of  the  handle  of  his  knife.  As  the  Kutenai 
pulled  his  shirt  over  his  head  the  Coeur  d'Alene  stabbed  him.  He  growled 
and  said  to  his  younger  brother,  "Hurry !  Run  after  him."  The  other 
straightened  up  and  threw  off  his  shirt.  They  fought.  The  Kutenai 


The  Myths  and  Tales  209 

looked  at  his  younger  brother.  Already  he  had  been  overcome.  The 
Coeur  d'Alene  killed  both  of  the  Kutenai. 


46.  Boy  Takes  Food 

Boy  takes  meat  from  main  supply 
Parents  become  angry ;  boy  leaves 
Goes  with  man  to  Kalispelm  country 

Kalispelm  boy,  told  not  to  eat  bear  guts,  runs  away  from  home 
Coeur  d'Alene  pair  kill  boy's  parents,  helpless  because  they  are  surfeited  with  bear 
grease 

A  Coeur  d'Alene  family  consisting  of  father,  mother  and  a  boy  about 
fifteen  went  to  visit  another  tribe.  The  boy  became  surfeited  with  service- 
berries  and  was  hungry  for  meat.  Unknown  to  his  mother  he  cut  a  slice 
of  meat  from  where  it  hung  and  ate  it.  His  mother  and  father  were 
angry  and  scolded  him.  Then  the  boy  became  angry  and  left.  He  went 
downstream.  He  came  to  a  house  where  a  man  was  thrumming  the 
string  of  a  bow  one  end  of  which  he  held  in  his  mouth.  "Opam  pam," 
it  said,  as  a  sign  the  man  was  going  on  a  long  trip. 

The  boy  said  to  the  owner  of  the  dwelling,  "I'm  going  with  you."  "No, 
your  father  might  become  angry."  "No,  I  am  the  one  who  is  angry.  My 
parents  think  more  of  their  food  than  of  me." 

The  boy  went  with  the  man  toward  Wallace,  along  the  river  to  the 
Kalispelm  country.  They  had  the  canoe  all  ready.  When  it  was  still  a 
little  light  just  before  sunset  they  came  where  the  current  was  swift. 
They  were  seen  by  an  enemy  boy  of  about  the  same  age  who  reported, 
"My !  I  think  I  saw  a  person.  No,  it  is  a  goose.  No,  it's  a  person." 

Then  it  was  dark.  The  Kalispelm  family,  which  consisted  of  parents 
and  the  young  boy,  had  a  bear  which  they  had  just  killed.  They  were 
surfeited  with  bear  grease.  The  boy  was  told,  "Don't  eat  the  bear  guts."1 
So  he  ran  far  away  from  the  house  to  sleep.  The  Coeur  d'Alene  canoe 
overtook  the  parents  of  the  Kalispelm  boy  as  they  slept  hard  because 
of  their  heavy  meal  and  killed  them. 

The  end. 

Children,  taking  food  without  permission,  reprimanded  by  their  par- 
ents and  leaving  home  is  a  common  theme  found  among  the  Nass, 
Kwakiuil,  Yookilta,  Nootka,  Tsimshian,  Bella  Coola  and  Tlingit.  Each 
of  these  myths  reveals  a  more  closely  knit  form  than  the  Coeur  d'Alene 
story  and  the  conclusions  arrived  at  are  accordingly  more  definite  and 

1  Bear  guts  are  cleaned  and  dried.  Little  pieces  are  eaten  to  cure  indigestion. 


210  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

concise.  In  most  cases  the  children  return  home  with  new  supernatural 
power. 

A  man  brings  home  food  from  a  feast ;  his  eldest  son  eats  it ;  the  father  scolds  the 
boy ;  the  boy  stays  in  bed  three  days ;  he  leaves  and  gets  to  salmon  country  where 
he  marries  the  chief's  daughter  (Nass  ARBAE  31:886). 

A  hungry  boy  (two  brothers)  takes  some  of  his  father's  salmon  roe;  his  father 
beats  him ;  a  stranger  urges  him  to  eat  all  the  salmon ;  he  is  beaten  again ;  he  prays 
on  the  beach  and  (helped  by  Moon  Man)  obtains  much  herring  for  his  father  (who 
becomes  a  wealthy  chief)  (Kwakiutl  MAM  14:375;  Yookilta  IS  131;  Nootka  IS 
115). 

A  boy  eats  some  of  the  eggs  he  was  sent  to  gather ;  his  father  strikes  him ;  he 
leaves;  he  learns  to  fly  and  obtains  a  dance  (Kwakiutl  IS  162). 

Children  eat  up  their  mothers'  mussels ;  the  children  are  beaten ;  they  leave  and 
become  a  new  tribe  (Nootka  IS  119). 

A  prince  gives  his  hungry  slave  boy  a  piece  of  dried  salmon  which  his  mother  is 
saving ;  the  prince  is  scolded  by  his  mother ;  he  leaves  and  is  taken  to  Salmon 
country  (Tsimshian  ARBAE  31:193). 

A  woman  scolds  her  husband  for  giving  her  step-son  too  much  to  eat;  the  boy 
leaves ;  he  returns  after  two  years  with  the  power  to  obtain  all  sorts  of  fish  (Bella 
Coola  IS  266). 

A  father  invites  strangers  to  eat  tallow ;  his  daughters  have  already  been  fed  the 
tallow  by  their  grandmother  (two  girls  eat  between  meals)  ;  the  girls'  mother 
scratches  their  cheeks ;  the  two  girls  leave  and  marry  Mountain  Dweller ;  they  re- 
turn home  with  huge  quantities  of  food  (Tlingit  BBAE  39:222,  280). 


47.  The  Practical  Joker 

Man  on  visit  to  friend  learns  he  is  out  fishing 
Man  pretends  to  be  fish  and  friend  fishes  him  up 
Friend  much  frightened 

Two  men  were  friends.  Just  before  they  parted  one  said  to  the  other, 
"When  I  die  you  can  take  my  gun."  "Good,"  answered  his  friend.  Then 
the  second  got  to  thinking  about  having  the  gun  and  came  to  the  con- 
clusion, "I  may  as  well  get  the  gun.  He  gave  it  to  me  anyway  just  as  if 
it  were  mine." 

He  went  to  his  friend's  house  and  inquired  of  his  wife,  "Where  is 
my  friend?"  "He's  gone.  He  went  to  the  river  to  fish."  "I'll  go  after  him." 


The  Myths  and  Tales  211 

He  went  to  the  river  and  saw  his  friend  fishing.  He  was  so  engrossed 
he  did  not  see  his  friend  as  he  approached,  so  the  latter  decided  to  play 
a  trick.  He  undressed  and  went  into  the  water.  The  shore  was  steep 
where  the  man  was  fishing.  His  friend  dived  and  swam  under  the  water. 
The  current  was  swift  and  when  the  fisherman  threw  in  his  line  it  went 
far  downstream.  The  friend  went  up  to  it  and  took  hold  of  it.  The  fisher- 
man pulled  and  thought  he  had  a  bite.  He  pulled  and  saw  he  was  fishing 
up  a  person.  He  was  so  frightened  he  did  not  know  what  he  was  doing 
but  kept  pulling,  meantime  walking  backwards. 

The  catch  came  ashore  and  followed  the  line.  The  fisherman  was  so 
frightened  he  did  not  recognize  his  friend,  nor  did  he  stop  pulling. 
Finally  the  friend  said,  "What's  the  matter  with  you?  Don't  you  know 
what  you're  doing  ?" 

Then  his  friend  recognized  him  and  they  had  a  big  laugh. 


A  similar  joke  is  played  in  a  tale  of  the  Comox : 

Two  young  men  come  upon  their  grandfather  in  heaven  fishing;  they  turn  into 
salmon  which  their  grandfather  harpoons ;  they  resume  their  true  form  and  laugh 
at  their  joke  before  stating  their  actual  errand  (IS  66). 

In  Thompson  myths  the  Transformers  play  the  trick  in  fish  disguise 
on  Cannibal : 

Cannibal  is  out  spearing  fish;  one  of  the  Transformer  brothers  pretends  to  be  a 
fish;  Cannibal  spears  him;  the  Transformer  swims  away  with  Cannibal's  spear- 
head ;  Cannibal  sulks ;  the  Transformers  return  the  spearhead  to  Cannibal's  de- 
light; he  feeds  them  much  food  in  little  (MAM  12:221,  315;  MAFLS  6:43). 

In  a  Haida  story  the  assumption  of  the  fish  disguise  is  used  in  a  dis- 
play of  supernatural  power,  rather  than  in  a  practical  joke. 

A  chief's  son  enters  his  silver  salmon  skin  and  steals  Master  Hopper's  spear 
point;  he  returns  the  spear  point  (BBAE  29:267  and  cp.  this  work  tale  1). 


48.  War  between  the  Blackfoot  and  the  Coeur  d'Alene 

Coeur  d'Alene  hunt  buffalo  in  Blackfoot  country 

Recognized  by  a  Blackfoot,  party  turns  back 

Chief  tells  story  of  his  youth 

Blackfoot  had  stolen  Coeur  d'Alene  horse 

Coeur  d'Alene  located  horse  as  it  was  drinking  at  river 

Blackfoot  scalped  and  sent  home 


212  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

The  people  went  travelling  to  hunt  buffalo.  Some  white  people  had 
settled  near  the  Blackf oot.  The  Coeur  d'Alene  put  up  for  the  night  near 
that  settlement.  One  of  them  was  recognized  by  one  of  the  Blackfoot. 
So  he  said,  "Let  us  go  back."  The  next  morning  the  chief  called  the 
people  together. 

"When  I  was  a  boy  all  the  horses  were  stolen.  I  was  just  about  the 
size  of  Ben  (He  Who  Gathers  Bones).1  I  looked  for  my  favorite  horse. 
He  was  gone.  The  chief  called,  'We'll  track  them.'  Some  who  went  said, 
'We'll  find  it  for  you.'  The  party  became  separated.  Four  went  one  way, 
the  rest  another.  Two  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  and  two  Salish  (from 
Where  River  Widens)  saw  the  Blackfoot  coming.  There  were  six  of 
them.  They  chased  the  Blackfoot  into  the  river.  One  of  the  horses  was 
thirsty  and  would  not  move  even  when  he  was  kicked.  The  Blackfoot 
did  all  he  could  to  start  him  but  the  horse  drank  slowly.  The  Blackfoot 
jumped  into  the  water  which  came  to  his  armpits.  The  Coeur  d'Alene 
chased  the  Blackfoot.  The  horses  got  tired.  When  the  Coeur  d'Alene 
came  near,  the  Blackfoot  aimed  his  arrow.  A  Coeur  d'Alene  went  up 
to  him  and  aimed  his  gun.  The  Blackfoot  put  his  hands  before  his  face 
to  defend  himself.  The  other  took  pity  on  him  and  came  very  near.  'Why 
don't  you  shoot  him?'  another  Coeur  d'Alene  asked.  They  closed  in 
upon  him  and  cut  off  his  long  hair.  Each  one  took  a  braid  with  a  part  of 
the  scalp.  The  blood  flowed.  He  cried.  Tears  ran  down  his  cheeks.  He 
was  told,  'Go  you  may  live.  We  will  not  kill  you.'  " 

That  is  the  end. 

1  The  informant's  name  for  Ben  Nicodemus  who  was  thirteen  at  the  time. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  AND  ABBREVIATIONS 

In  the  bibliography  the  abbreviations  have  been  made  to  conform  as  closely  as 
possible  with  those  used  by  G.  P.  Murdock  in  his  Ethnographic  Bibliography  of 
North  America.  As  a  matter  of  convenience  MAMNH  has  been  shortened  to  MAM. 
There  are  two  lists,  one  of  authors  and  titles,  the  other  of  abbreviations  so  that  the 
references  may  be  easily  found. 

Authors  and  Titles 

Adamson,  Thelma.  Folk-Tales  of  the  Coast  Salish.  Memoirs  of  the  American  Folk- 
Lore  Society  (MAFLS)  27  (1934). 

Andrade,  M.  J.  Quileute  Texts.  Columbia  University  Contributions  to  Anthropology 
(CUCA)  12  (1931). 

Ballard,  A.  C.  Mythology  of  Southern  Puget  Sound.  University  of  Washington 
Publications  in  Anthropology  (UWPA)  3(1929)  :31-150. 

Ballard,  A.  C.  Some  Tales  of  the  Southern  Puget  Sound  Salish.  UWPA  2(1927)  : 
57-81. 

Boas,  F.  Chinook  Texts.  Bulletin  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology  (BBAE)  20 
(1894). 

Boas,  F.  Einige  Sagen  der  Kootenay.  Verhandlungen  der  Berliner  Gesellschaft 
fur  Anthropologic,  Ethnologie  und  Urgeschichte  (VBGA)  23  (1891)  :161-2. 

Boas,  F.  Indianische  Sagen  von  der  Nord-Pacifischen  Kiiste  Amerikas.  (IS)  1895. 

Boas,  F.  Kathlamet  Texts.  BBAE  26  (1901). 

Boas,  F.  Kwakiutl  Culture  as  Reflected  in  Mythology.  MAFLS  28  (1935). 

Boas,  F.  Thev  Kwakiutl  of  Vancouver  Island.  Memoirs  American  Museum  of  Nat- 
ural History  (MAM)  8(1909)  :307-515. 

Boas,  F.  Kwakiutl  Tales.  CUCA  2  (1910). 

Boas,  F.  Kwakiutl  Tales,  new  series.  CUCA  26  (1935). 

Boas,  F.  The  Mythology  of  the  Bella  Coola  Indians.  MAM  2(1900)  :25-127. 

Boas,  F.  Race,  Language  and  Culture.  New  York.  1940. 

Boas,  F.  Traditions  of  the  Ts'ets'aut.  Journal  of  American  Folk-Lore  (JAFL) 
9  (1896):257-68;  10(1897)  :35-48. 

Boas,  F.  Tsimshian  Mythology.  Annual  Report  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology 
(ARBAE)  31  (1916). 

Boas,  F.  Tsimshian  Texts.  BBAE  27  (1902). 

Boas,  F.  Tsimshian  Texts  (New  Series).  Publications  American  Ethnological  So- 
ciety (PAES)  3  (1912). 

Boas,  F.  and  Chamberlain,  A.  Kutenai  Tales.  BBAE  59  (1918). 

Boas,  F.  and  Hunt,  G.  Kwakiutl  Texts.  MAM  5(1905)  :  1-532.  Kwakiutl  Texts, 
Second  Series.  MAM  14(1906)  :l-269. 

Chapman,  J.  W.  Ten'a  Texts  and  Tales  from  Anvik.  PAES  6  (1914). 

Dixon,  R.  B.  Achomawi  and  Atsugewi  Tales.  JAFL  21(1908)  :159-77. 

Dorsey,  G.  A.  The  Pawnee:  Mythology.  Carnegie  Institution  of  Washington  (CI) 
(1906). 

Dyer,  C.  L.  Mythology  of  the  Kutenai.  Unpublished  manuscript. 

Farrand,  L.  Traditions  of  the  Chilcotin  Indians.  MAM  4(1900)  :l-54. 

213 


214  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

Farrand,  L.  and  Kahnweiler,  W.  S.  Traditions  of  the  Quinault  Indians.  MAM 

4(1902)  :77-U2. 
Frachtenberg,  L.  See  St.  Clair. 
Golder,  F.  A.  Tlingit  Myths.  JAFL  20(1907)  :290-5. 
Hill-Tout,  C.  Notes  on  the  N'tlakapamuq  Indians.  Report  of  the  First  Meeting  of 

the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science  (BAAS)  69(1899)  : 

500-85. 
Hill-Tout,  C.  Notes  on  the  Skqo'mic  of  British  Columbia.  BAAS  70(1900)  :472-549. 
Hill-Tout,  C.  Report  on  the  Ethnology  of  the  Okana'ken.  Journal  of  the  (Royal) 

Anthropological   Institute  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland    (JAI)    41(1911): 

130-61. 
Hill-Tout,  C.  Report  on  the  Ethnology  of  the  Si'ciatl  of  British  Columbia.  JAI 

34(1904)  :20-91. 
Hill-Tout,  C.  Report  on  the  Stsee'lis  and  Skau'lits  Tribes  of  the  Halkome'lem 

Division  of  the  Salish  of  British  Columbia.  JAI  34  (1904)  :311-376. 
Hunt,  G.  See  Boas  and  Hunt. 

Jacobs,  M.  Northwest  Sahaptin  Texts.  UWPA  2(1929)  :175-244. 
Jacobs,  M.  Northwest  Sahaptin  Texts.  CUCA  19  (1934). 
Jones,  W.  Ojibwa  Texts.  PAES  7  (1919). 
Lowie,   R.   H.   The   Assiniboine.   Anthropological   Papers   American   Museum   of 

Natural  History  (APAM)  4  (1910). 
Phillips,  E.  M.  Columbia  River  Tales.  The  Idaho  Farmer.  August  7,  14;  Septem- 
ber 18,  1930. 
Phinney,  A.  Nez  Perce  Texts.  CUCA  25  (1934). 
Ray,  V.  F.  Sanpoil  Folk  Tales.  JAFL  46(1933)  :129-87. 
Reichard,  G.  A.  Coeur  d'Alene.  Handbook  of  American  Indian  Languages  (HAIL) 

3(1938)  :515-707. 
Reichard,  G.  A.  Imagery  in  an  Indian  Vocabulary.  American  Speech  18(1943)  : 

96-102. 
Sapir,  E.  Takelma  Texts.   University  of  Pennsylvania  Museum  Anthropological 

Publications  (UPMAP)  2  (1909). 
Sapir,  E.  Wishram  Texts.  PAES  2(1909). 

Spinden,  H.  J.  Myths  of  the  Nez  Perce  Indians.  JAFL  21(1908)  :13-23,  149-58. 
Spinden,  H.  J.  See  Teit  and  Others. 
St.  Clair,  H.  H.  and  Frachtenberg,  L.  J.  Traditions  of  the  Coos  Indians.  JAFL 

22(1909)  :25-41. 
Swanton,  J.  R.  Contributions  to  the  Ethnology  of  the  Haida.  MAM  8(1909)  :l-300. 
Swanton,  J.  R.  Haida  Texts,  Masset  Dialect.  MAM  14(1908)  :273-812. 
Swanton,  J.  R.  Haida  Texts  and  Myths,  Skidegate  Dialect.  BBAE  29(1905). 
Swanton,  J.  R.  Tlingit  Myths  and  Texts.  BBAE  39  (1909). 
Taverner,  P.  A.  Birds  of  Western  Canada.  Victoria  Memorial  Museum  Bulletin 

41   (1926),  Ottawa. 
Teit,  J.  A.  The  Lillooet  Indians.  MAM  4(1906)  :  193-300. 
Teit,  J.  A.  Mythology  of  the  Thompson  Indians.  MAM  12(1912)  :199-416. 
Teit,  J.  A.  The  Salishan  Tribes  of  the  Western  Plateaus.  ARBAE  45(1930)  :447- 

758. 
Teit,  J.  A.  The  Shuswap.  MAM  4  (1906)  :447-758. 

Teit,  J.  A.  The  Thompson  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  MAM  2(1900)  :163-392. 
Teit,  J.  A.  Traditions  of  the  Lillooet  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  JAFL  25(1912)  : 

287-371. 


Bibliography  and  Abbreviations  215 

Teit,  J.  A.  Traditions  of  the  Thompson  River  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  MAFLS 

6  (1898). 
Teit,  J.  A.  and  Others.  Folk-Tales  of  Salishan  and  Sahaptin  Tribes.  MAFLS  11 

(1917). 
Waterman,  T.  T.  The  Explanatory  Element  in  the  Folk-Tales  of  North  American 

Indians.  JAFL  27  (1914)  :l-54. 


Abbreviations 

APAM  4,  see  Lowie. 

ARBAE  31,  see  Boas,  Tsimshian  Mythology 

ARBAE  45,  see  Teit,  The  Salishan  Tribes 

BAAS  69,  see  Hill-Tout,  Notes  on  the  N'tlakapamuq 

BAAS  70,  see  Hill-Tout,  Notes  on  the  Skqo'mic 

BBAE  20,  see  Boas,  Chinook  Texts 

BBAE  26,  see  Boas,  Kathlamet  Texts 

BBAE  27,  see  Boas,  Tsimshian  Texts 

BBAE  29,  see  Swanton,  Haida  Texts  and  Myths,  Skidegate  Dialect 

BBAE  39,  see  Swanton,  Tlingit  Myths  and  Texts 

BBAE  59,  see  Boas  and  Chamberlain 

CI,  see  Dorsey 

CUCA  2,  see  Boas,  Kwakiutl  Tales 

CUC A  12,  see  Andrade 

CUCA  25,  see  Phinney 

CUCA  26,  see  Boas,  Kwakiutl  Tales,  New  Series 

HAIL,  see  Reichard,  Coeur  d'Alene 

Idaho  Farmer,  see  Phillips 

IS,  see  Boas,  Indianische  Sagen 

JAFL  9,  see  Boas,  Traditions  of  the  Ts'ets'aut 

JAFL  20,  see  Golder 

JAFL  21 :  13-23,  149-58,  see  Spinden 

JAFL  21  -.159-77,  see  Dixon 

JAFL  22,  see  St.  Clair 

JAFL  25,  see  Teit,  Traditions  of  the  Lillooet 

JAFL  27,  see  Waterman 

JAFL  46,  see  Ray 

JAI  34,  see  Hill-Tout,  Report  on  the  Ethnology  of  the  Si'ciatl,  and  Report  on  the 

Stsee'lis 
JAI  41,  see  Hill-Tout,  Report  on  the  Ethnology  of  the  Okana'k"en 
MAFLS  6,  see  Teit,  Traditions  of  the  Thompson 
MAFLS  11,  see  Teit  and  Others 
MAFLS  27,  see  Adamson 

MAFLS  28,  see  Boas,  Kwakiutl  Culture  as  Reflected  in  Mythology 
MAM  2 :25-127,  see  Boas,  The  Mythology  of  the  Bella  Coola  Indians 
MAM  2:163-392,  see  Teit,  The  Thompson  Indians  of  British  Columbia 
MAM  4:1-54,  see  Far  rand,  Traditions  of  the  Chilcotin 
MAM  4 :77-132,  see  Farrand  and  Kahnweiler 
MAM  4:193-300,  see  Teit,  The  Lillooet  Indians 
MAM  4:447-758,  see  Teit,  The  Shuswap 


216  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

MAM  5:1-532,  see  Boas  and  Hunt 

MAM  8:1-300,  see  Swanton,  Contributions  to  the  Ethnology  of  the  Haida 

MAM  8:307-515,  see  Boas,  The  Kwakiutl  of  Vancouver  Island 

MAM  12:199-416,  see  Teit,  Mythology  of  the  Thompson  Indians 

MAM  14:1-269,  see  Boas  and  Hunt 

MAM  14 :273-812,  see  Swanton,  Haida  Texts,  Masset  Dialect 

PAES  2,  see  Sapir,  Wishram  Texts 

PAES  3,  see  Boas,  Tsimshian  Texts  (New  Series) 

PAES  6,  see  Chapman 

PAES  7,  see  Jones 

RLC,  see  Boas,  Race,  Language  and  Culture 

UPMAP,  see  Sapir,  Takelma  Texts 

UWPA  2 :57-81,  see  Ballard,  Some  Tales 

UWPA  2:175-244,  see  Jacobs 

UWPA  3,  see  Ballard,  Mythology  of  Southern  Puget  Sound 

VBGA  23,  see  Boas,  Einige  Sagen 


MEMOIRS  OF  THE  AMERICAN  FOLKLORE  SOCIETY 
♦Volume  out  of  print  or  out  of  stock 

Vol.  *1.  Folk  Tales  of  Angola,  by  Heli  Chatelain.  With  Ki-mbundu  text.  1894. 

315  pp. 
*2.  Louisiana  Folk  Tales,  by  Alcee  Fortier.  In  French  dialect  and  English 

translation.  1895.  122  pp. 
*3.  Bahama  Songs  and  Stories,  by  Charles  L.  Edwards.  With  music.  1895. 

Ill  pp. 
*4.  Current  Superstitions,  from  the  Oral  Tradition  of  English-speaking  Folk, 

by  Fanny  D.  Bergen.  1896.  161  pp. 
*5.  Navaho  Legends,  by  Washington  Matthews.   With  texts  and  melodies. 

Illustrated.  1897.  299  pp. 

6.  Traditions  of  the  Thompson  River  Indians  of  British  Columbia,  by  James 
Teit.  With  introduction  by  Franz  Boas.  1898.  137  pp.  $3.50. 

7.  Animal  and  Plant  Lore,  by  Fanny  D.  Bergen.  1899.  180  pp.  $3.50. 

8.  Traditions  of  the  Skidi  Pawnee,  by  George  A.  Dorsey.  1904.  366  pp.  $6.00. 

9.  Los  Pastores.  A  Mexican  Miracle  Play,  by  M.  R.  Cole.  1907.  234  pp.  $4.00. 

10.  Spanish  American  Folk  Songs,  by  Eleanor  Hague.  1917.  Ill  pp.  $3.50. 

11.  Folk  Tales  of  Salishan  and  Sahaptin  Tribes,  by  J.  A.  Teit,  M.  K.  Gould, 
L.  Farrand,  and  H.  J.  Spinden.  1917.  201  pp.  $3.50. 

12.  Filipino  Popular  Tales,  by  Dean  S.  Fansler.  1921.  473  pp.  $5.00. 

13.  The  Folk  Tales  of  Andros  Island,  Bahamas,  by  Elsie  Clews  Parsons. 
1918.  170  pp.  $3.50. 

*14.  Index  to  the  Journal  of  American  Folk-Lore.  1930.  $5.50  net. 

15.  Folklore  from  the  Cape  Verde  Islands,  by  Elsie  Clews  Parsons.  1923.  640 
pp.  2  vols.  $7.00. 

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1923.  218  pp.  $3.50. 

*17.  Jamaica  Anansi  Stories,  by  Martha  Warren  Beckwith.  1924.  295  pp.  $3.50. 
*18.  Folk-Lore  of  Maryland,  by  A.  W.  Whitney  and  C.  C.  Bullock.  1927. 238  pp. 

19.  Tewa  Tales,  by  Elsie  Clews  Parsons.  1927.  304  pp.  $3.50. 
*20.  Lamba  Tales,  by  C.  M.  Doke.  1927.  570  pp. 
21.  Jamaican  Folklore,  collected  by  Martha  Warren  Beckwith,  with  music 
recorded  in  the  field  by  Helen  H.  Roberts.  Illustrated.  1929.  347  pp.  $5.00. 
*22.  Kiowa  Tales,  by  Elsie  Clews  Parsons.  1929.  152  pp. 
*23.  Folk-Lore  from  the  Dominican  Republic,  by  Manuel  J.  Andrade.  1931. 

432  pp. 
*24.  Folklore  from  Nova  Scotia,  by  Arthur  Huff  Fauset.  1931.  204  pp.  $3.50. 
*25.  Bella  Bella  Tales,  by  Franz  Boas.  1932.  178  pp.  $3.50. 
26.  Folklore  of  the  Antilles,  French  and  English,  by  Elsie  Clews  Parsons. 
Part  I.  1933.  521  pp.  $5.00.  Part  II.  1936.  569  pp.  $5.00.  Part  III.  1943. 
487  pp.  $4.00. 
*27.  Folk-Tales  of  the  Coast  Salish,  by  Thelma  Adamson.  1943.  430  pp. 
*28.  Kwakiutl  Culture  as  Reflected  in  Mythology,  by  Frank  Boas.  1935.  190  pp. 
*28.  Folklore  from  Iowa,  by  Earl  J.  Stout.  1936.  228  pp.  $3.50. 

217 


218  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths 

*30.  Spanish  Folk-Tales  from  New  Mexico,  by  Jose  Manuel  Espinosa.  1937. 

222  pp.  $3.50. 
*31.  Myths  and  Tales   of  the  Jicarilla  Apache   Indians,   by   Morris  Edward 

Opler.  1938.  406  pp.  $3.50. 
32.  Mandan-Hidatsa  Myths  and  Ceremonies,  by  Martha  W.  Beckwith.  1938. 

327  pp.  $3.50. 
*33.  Myths  and  Tales  of  the  White  Mountain  Apache,  by  Grenville  Goodwin. 

1939.  223  pp.  $3.50. 

34.  Taos  Tales,  by  Elsie  Clews  Parsons.  1940.  188  pp.  $3.50. 

35.  Tales  from  Jalisco,  Mexico,  by  H.  T.  Wheeler.  1944.  562  pp.  $4.00. 

36.  Myths  and  Legends  of  the  Lipan  Apache  Indians,  by  Morris  Edward 
Opler.  1940.  296  pp.  $3.50. 

37.  Myths  and  Tales  of  the  Chiricahua  Apache  Indians,  by  Morris  Edward 
Opler,  with  an  Appendix  of  Apache  and  Navaho  Comparative  References 
by  David  French.  114  pp.  1942.  $2.50. 

38.  Japanese  Peasant  Songs,  by  John  F.  Embree.  105  pp.,  pis.  1943.  $3.00. 

39.  Hill  Country  Tunes  of  Pennsylvania,  by  Samuel  P.  Bayard.  1944.  110  pp., 
music.  $3.00. 

40.  Myths  of  the  Toba  and  Pilaga  Indians  of  the  Gran  Chaco,  by  Alfred 
Metraux.  1946.  167  pp.  $3.00. 

41.  An  Analysis  of  Coeur  d'Alene  Indian  Myths,  by  Gladys  A.  Reichard. 
1947.  ???  pp.  $4.00. 

The  above  volumes  are  for  sale  by  the  American  Folklore  Society  at  reduced 
prices  to  members.  Volumes  1  and  5  may  be  procured  as  reprints  from  G.  E. 
Stechert  &  Co.,  New  York. 


Withdrawn  from  UF.  Surveyed  to  Internet  Archive 


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